Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | Voting in two phases on November 6 and 11, counting on Nov 14

The counting of votes will be on November 14. The 2020 elections were held in three phases during the Covid-19 pandemic.

New Delhi: Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, in a crucial Assembly election that will decide whether Nitish Kumar-led NDA will retain power or RJD return to helm the government for the first time in 20 years along with its allies. The counting of votes will be on November 14.

Bypolls to eight Assembly seats, including Budgam and Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir, will also be held on November 11 along with the second phase of Bihar polls.

Announcing the schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar told a press conference that the Bihar election is the “mother of all elections” while assuring to hold a peaceful and transparent exercise.

In the first phase, 121 seats will go to the polls while voting will be held in 122 assembly constituencies in the second phase.

The notification for the two phases of Bihar polls will be issued on October 10 and 13. The last date of filing nominations will be October 17 and October 20 with the dates for withdrawal set at October 20 and 23. The elections will be completed before November 16.

The announcement of the schedule is all set to accelerate seat negotiations within the ruling NDA and the Opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc where smaller parties like CPI(ML)L, VIP, LJP(RV) and HAM are locked in intense bargaining with alliance leaders.

The outcome of the election, which is the first after the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that brought down the number of voters from 7.89 crore to 7.49 crore, will also determine whether the BJP will finally come out of the shadows of the JD(U).

It will also test the mettle of election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraaj party besides whether the Congress has gained ground after the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ led by Rahul Gandhi. In the coming days, it will also be clear whether Nitish’s son Nishant will enter the poll fray.

The term of the 243-member state assembly ends on November 22. In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the NDA currently holds 131 seats, with the BJP holding 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and two Independents.

Of the 243 seats, 38 are reserved for SCs and two for STs. There are 3.92 crore male and 3.5 crore women voters besides 1,725 transgender electors.

Asked about holding the polls not in a single phase and just after Chhatt festival on October 28, Kumar said they could not have held the elections before the announced dates as a certain minimum period is required for filing nomination and campaign. The 2020 elections were held in three phases during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the new initiatives, Kumar said there will be mandatory VVPAT count for mismatches. He said there will be VVPAT slip counting in each and every case of mismatch between Form 17C and EVM data and wherever mock poll data was not erased.

Voters can also reach out to their Booth Level Officers by booking a call through ECINet, an EC App, he said. For the first time, he said, there will be one General Observer for each constituency.

Bihar: 'Mother of All Elections'

Phase 1: Nov 6 

Phase 2: Nov 11

Counting of Votes: Nov 14

Seats: 243 -- Gen 203; SC 38; ST 2

Voters: 7.42 crore

Male: 3.92 crore

Female: 3.5 crore

Transgenders: 1725

Disabled: 7.2 lakh

1st time voters: 14.01 lakh

20-29 years voters: 1.63 crore

85+ voters: 4.04 lakh

100+ voters: 14,000

POLLING STATIONS: 90712

Rural: 76801

Urban: 13911

Avg Voter Per Polling Station: 818

Election Officials: 8.5 lakh

Polling Personnel: 4.53 lakh

Sector Officers: 9,600

Micro Observers for Polling: 17,800

Micro Observers for Counting: 4,800

Counting Officials: 28,300

Police Officials: 2.5 lakh

Anganwadi Sevikas: 90712

BYPOLLS

* Voting in 8 seats on Nov 11; counting on Nov 14

-- Budgam and Nagrota (Jammu and Kashmir), Anta (Rajasthan), Ghatsila (Jharkhand), Jubilee Hills (Telangana), Tarn Taran (Punjab), Dampa (Mizoram), Naupada (Odisha)