Election Commissioner Vivek Joshi Begins Four-Day Bihar Visit to Review Poll Preparations

Patna: Election Commissioner Dr Vivek Joshi arrived in Patna on Thursday for a four-day official visit aimed at reviewing preparations for the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections later this year.

Welcomed by Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal on his arrival from Delhi, Dr Joshi will hold a series of high-level meetings with senior election and police officials, including the Chief Electoral Officer, Police Nodal Officer, Inspector Generals, District Magistrates and Senior Superintendents of Police.

The visit includes field inspections to assess on-ground election readiness, with scheduled stops in Motihari (East Champaran) and Bettiah (West Champaran), where Dr Joshi will inspect the ongoing First Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and hold district-level reviews with election officials, including District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

In preparation for the Bihar elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ramped up training programmes to enhance the accuracy of the electoral roll and improve operational efficiency at polling stations. The commission’s training institute, the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), is conducting these sessions in collaboration with polling station officials and political party agents across divisions in Bihar.

First Level Checking of EVMs is currently underway in 13 districts to ensure operational integrity ahead of the elections.

Dr Joshi’s visit underscores the ECI’s focus on ensuring free, fair and participatory elections in Bihar, with a direct assessment of voter facilities, security arrangements, polling stations, and the EVM verification process.