Patna: Police and security agencies have been placed on high alert ahead of the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) directing immediate action against liquor and drug smuggling. Officials have also been told to scrutinise large-scale purchases of sarees and T-shirts, amid concerns they could be distributed to sway voters.
On Wednesday, senior election officials, including deputy election commissioner Manish Garg, Bihar’s chief electoral officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, and state police nodal officer Kundan Krishnan, reviewed security arrangements in a meeting with representatives from 24 central agencies. The ECI instructed that paramilitary forces be deployed at interstate borders and called for action against arms suppliers and known criminals.
Krishnan stressed the need for tighter security throughout the election period, urging vigilance from the publication of the electoral roll until polling concludes. He also directed that polling stations be equipped with basic amenities and that awareness be raised around postal ballots, particularly for voters over 85 and those with disabilities.
The meetings, attended by Bihar’s additional chief electoral officer and additional secretary, underlined the Commission’s push to clamp down on illicit inducements and ensure smooth conduct of the polls.
