Patna: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday announced that the Bihar Assembly elections will be held before November 22, when the term of the current assembly expires. Bihar has 243 assembly constituencies, including two reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and 38 for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Kumar said the Election Commission (EC) had trained booth-level officers for the first time as part of preparations. “The term of the Bihar Legislative Assembly ends on November 22, 2025, and elections will be held before that. The Election Commission trained booth-level officers for the first time. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was launched on June 24, 2025, and completed on schedule,” he stated.
The CEC congratulated voters on the successful completion of the SIR process and urged them to participate enthusiastically in the upcoming elections. “We congratulate the voters of India. I appeal to all voters in Bihar to celebrate this festival of democracy with the same enthusiasm as you celebrate Chhath. Everyone should vote and ensure full participation,” he said.
Kumar also commended the efforts of Bihar’s 90,217 booth-level officers, calling their work in cleansing the voter list exemplary. “Just as Vaishali in Bihar showed the world the path to democracy, you will now become a source of inspiration for the country through your voter list cleansing work,” he remarked.
Election Commission officials were on a two-day review visit to Bihar to assess preparedness for the polls.
The upcoming electoral contest in Bihar is shaping up as a direct battle between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the opposition Mahagathbandhan, spearheaded by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
In the current 243-member assembly, the NDA holds 131 seats — BJP 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and two Independents. The Mahagathbandhan holds 111 seats, comprising RJD 77, Congress 19, CPI(ML) 11, CPI(M) 2, and CPI 2.
As political temperatures rise, both alliances have intensified campaigning across the state, setting the stage for a high-stakes election that could redefine Bihar’s political landscape.
