Patna: With the Delhi Assembly elections concluded, political activities in Bihar have gained momentum ahead of the state’s upcoming Assembly elections. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to visit Bihar before Holi, marking its first official visit in preparation for the polls.
According to sources, the Election Commission team will be in Bihar for two days, during which they will:
- Hold a review meeting with District Magistrates (DMs).
- Meet with the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and officials from Income Tax, Excise, and other enforcement agencies.
Sources indicate that voting is likely to be held in November since the Diwali and Chhath festivals fall in October. The election schedule is expected to be announced in the last week of September.
Ahead of the ECI’s visit, Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer H Srinivas chaired a meeting with state officials in Patna on Wednesday. The discussion focused on increasing voter turnout and addressing key electoral issues.
The Election Commission team will focus on three primary tasks during its visit:
- First Level Checking (FLC) of EVMs – The team will inspect the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems in the presence of the Chief Electoral Officer.
- Randomized EVM & VVPAT Inspection – Machines used in the voting process will be checked through random sampling.
- On-Ground Review in Districts – The team will visit Patna, Bhagalpur, and Muzaffarpur to review electoral preparedness.
NDA vs Grand Alliance: The Key Electoral Battle
The November Assembly elections will witness a major political contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Grand Alliance.
- The NDA currently consists of BJP, JDU, Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas), Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM (Secular), and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
- The Grand Alliance comprises RJD, Congress, Mukesh Sahni’s VIP, and leftist parties. Additionally, Pashupati Paras’ LJP is speculated to join the Grand Alliance, with RJD chief Lalu Yadav hinting at the possibility.
Unless there is a major political shift, this coalition structure is expected to remain intact until the elections.
According to Election Commission data released in January 2025, 4,09,434 names have been removed from Bihar’s voter list. This includes:
- 2,37,967 male voters
- 1,71,421 female voters
- 46 transgender voters
Notably, Nalanda, Madhubani, Kishanganj, and Araria saw higher deletions of women voters.
Meanwhile, 7,94,466 new voters have been added compared to last year.
Given the uproar over voter list modifications in the recent Delhi Assembly elections, Bihar could witness similar tensions as polling approaches.
