Color Photos of Candidates, 100% Web Casting: CEC Gyanesh Kumar Makes Big Announcements Ahead Of Bihar Polls

The Chief Election Commissioner of India briefed media ahead of Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 on Sunday. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar started with a thank-you note for Block Level Officers (BLOs) for successfully and timely completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

CEC Gyanesh Kumar then briefed media about preparations done for the upcoming assembly polls.

CEC said, poll conducting body has upgraded technology and has launched a portal for all voters related services and information.

CEC Kumar said that 100 web casting will be done in the upcoming election and all EVMs will carry color photographs of candidates.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that the elections will be conducted before November 22. "There are 243 general constituencies in Bihar. Elections will be conducted before November 22. The entire team of the Election Commission is present in Bihar for two days. Election Commission officials held meetings with the Bihar police administration, heads of enforcement agencies, and nodal officers," he said.

During his two-day trip, Kumar was accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sindhu and Vivek Joshi. They assessed election preparations with state officials and engaged with representatives from major political parties. Delegates from BJP, Congress, JD(U), RJD, CPI(ML) Liberation, CPI(M), CPI, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Bahujan Samaj Party, and Aam Aadmi Party participated in these discussions.

Election Timing and Festival Considerations

According to an ECI statement, most political parties expressed a preference for conducting the elections "immediately after Chhath," Bihar's prominent festival occurring later this month. They also suggested completing the election process "in as few phases as possible." This year, Chhath will be celebrated from October 25-28.

Chhath is celebrated six days after Diwali and is significant in Bihar. Many people employed outside the state return home during this period for festivities. Holding elections around this time is believed to boost voter turnout due to increased local presence.

Political Parties' Role in Elections

Kumar emphasized that political parties are "significant stakeholders in a strong democracy" and should actively participate in every stage of the election process. He urged them to ensure polling and counting agents are appointed and encouraged them to join voters in celebrating the elections wholeheartedly.

The ECI team later conducted an extensive review with state officials on various aspects such as election planning, electronic voting machine (EVM) management, logistics, staff training, law enforcement, and voter awareness initiatives.

Monitoring Social Media

Officials were instructed to keep an eye on social media platforms for any fake news related to the elections. They were advised to take appropriate legal action if necessary to counter misinformation effectively.

The term of Bihar's 243-member assembly concludes on November 22. The first phase of elections is expected at the end of October, shortly after Chhath Puja. In 2020, assembly elections were held in three phases amid COVID-19 challenges.

Party representatives expressed gratitude towards the ECI for successfully completing the "historic" Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. This revision had sparked political debate ahead of the polls but was seen as crucial for ensuring fair elections.