Patna: The stage is set for the counting of votes in Patna district following the completion of polling on November 6 for the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, 2025. The counting will begin at 8 a.m. on November 14 at A.N. College, Patna. The District Election Officer-cum-District Magistrate of Patna, Dr. Thiyagarajan SM, said that counting is one of the most crucial phases of the election process and all necessary arrangements are being made to ensure that it is carried out smoothly, peacefully, and transparently.
According to officials, a separate counting hall has been set up for each of the 14 Assembly constituencies under the district. Each hall will have 14 counting tables, with three officials deployed at each table — a counting supervisor, a counting assistant, and a micro-observer. Their names have been selected through computerised randomisation to ensure fairness. A separate arrangement has been made for counting postal ballots, where one Assistant Returning Officer, one counting supervisor, two assistants, and a micro-observer will handle the process. The entire system is being managed as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Election Commission of India.
Three teams have been formed for every Assembly constituency to handle the process effectively — the Returning Officer Team, the EVM-VVPAT Operations Team, and the Strong Room Team. Computer operators assigned for technical work have been specially trained by the District Information Science Officer and IT Manager of Patna to handle all data entry and technical requirements related to EVMs and vote counting. The Returning Officer will officially announce the results after every round of counting to keep the process open and transparent.
To monitor every step of the counting process, a dedicated data centre has been set up at the district level. This centre will collect and record information from all counting halls and ensure real-time reporting. Special care has been taken to provide all basic facilities at the counting centre, including toilets, clean drinking water, electricity, cleanliness, and medical help. Firefighting and traffic management arrangements have also been made to maintain safety and order. The District Magistrate has clearly instructed that no unauthorized person will be allowed inside the counting centre and that the entire premises will be under CCTV surveillance.
The Election Commission’s guidelines strictly prohibit the use of mobile phones inside the counting rooms by candidates, agents, and officials. All departments involved — including the personnel cell, model code of conduct cell, law and order cell, and postal ballot cell — have been asked to work in close coordination to ensure that the process goes smoothly.
The District Magistrate expressed satisfaction over the peaceful completion of voting earlier this month and said that the administration is committed to conducting the counting in a similar peaceful and festive atmosphere. He thanked voters, officials, and all staff for their cooperation and said that the administration is fully prepared to carry out the counting in a free, fair, and transparent manner. “Every officer and staff member is alert and ready to ensure that the people’s mandate is respected with full honesty,” he added.
