Today, Monday, at 4 p.m., the Election Commission (EC) will declare the dates for the Bihar Assembly elections. This declaration comes after a thorough two-day examination of the state’s readiness for the election by top EC officials over the weekend.
Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had protracted discussions in Patna. They talked to key state authorities on important issues including security, logistics, and enforcement readiness to make sure the elections are free, fair, and free of bribes.
“We are fully committed to holding elections in Bihar that are open, fair, and peaceful,” said CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
EC Readiness and Political Advice
The EC’s review covered all parts of arranging an election, such as managing electronic voting machines (EVMs), making polling places more efficient, training personnel, keeping the peace, and making sure voters knew what was going on. District Election Officers and Superintendents of Police were told to keep a watchful eye on social media for false information and take quick legal action where necessary.
Before the declaration today, the poll panel also met with leaders from the BJP, JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), and AAP, among other key political groups.
Several groups suggested that the elections be held after Chhath Puja, Bihar’s biggest holiday, to get as many people to vote as possible.
Umesh Singh Kushwaha, the head of JD(U) Bihar, asked for single-phase polling right after the festival so that migrant voters would have enough time to go home and vote.
The BJP agreed with this and called for elections to be held in one or two phases. They also wanted paramilitary personnel to be dispatched to critical areas to make voters feel more secure.
There were three phases to the last Assembly elections in 2020. The declaration of the forthcoming election is opportune because it comes only days after the official electoral roll was published on September 30, which showed that there are 7.42 crore voters in the state.
The Political Scene
The next elections will likely see a direct, high-stakes fight between two major groups: the NDA, which is now led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), which is led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
The NDA has 131 seats and the Mahagathbandhan has 111 seats in the 243-member Assembly.