Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday said that the Bihar Assembly elections will be held before November 22, when the term of the current Legislative Assembly ends. Bihar has 243 assembly constituencies, including two reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and 38 for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
Addressing a press conference in Patna after a two-day review of poll preparedness, the CEC said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar was completed within the stipulated timeframe, thanks to the exemplary efforts of over 90,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs). “Just as Vaishali showed the world the path to democracy, Bihar’s BLOs have set an example for the entire country in cleansing voter lists,” he said.
Kumar congratulated the voters on the successful completion of the SIR and appealed to all citizens to treat voting as a “festival of democracy,” urging them to participate with the same enthusiasm as during Chhath.
Highlighting several new measures for the upcoming polls, the CEC announced that no polling booth will have more than 1,200 voters to ensure smoother and faster voting. The Election Commission will also issue voter ID cards within 15 days, and booth-level officials will carry identification cards for easier recognition.
To enhance transparency, 100 per cent webcasting will be implemented at all polling stations. Additionally, a separate room will be designated near polling booths where voters can deposit their mobile phones before casting their votes.
In a significant reform, ballot papers will feature larger serial numbers and coloured photographs of candidates to make identification clearer. The CEC also announced that postal ballots will be counted before the final two rounds of EVM counting to streamline vote tabulation.
Kumar said that the Election Commission has launched 17 new initiatives to simplify and digitise election processes. One such feature, ECI-NET, will provide digital index cards showing voter turnout by gender within days of polling, replacing the earlier months-long delay.
For the first time, honorarium has been introduced for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and remuneration for BLOs has been increased. Candidates will also be allowed to set up their assistance stalls 100 metres away from polling booths, relaxing previous restrictions.
(With agency inputs)