Election Commission announces major preparations for Bihar assembly elections

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday detailed its comprehensive preparations for the upcoming Bihar State Assembly Elections of 2025.

The ECI is currently undertaking a revision of the state’s electoral rolls, a mandatory process before every election as per the Constitution of India and the law. To keep the public fully informed, the commission regularly releases press notes and advertisements.

In a first for any state, Bihar has capped the number of electors per polling booth at 1,200 to prevent long queues. This initiative has led to a significant increase in the number of polling stations, from 77,895 to 90,712. The number of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) has also been increased from 77,895 to 90,712 to match this expansion.

In a move to further assist voters, the number of volunteers has been substantially increased from 1 lakh to almost 4 lakhs. Furthermore, all 12 recognised political parties in Bihar have also increased their number of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from 1,38,680 to 1,60,813.

The ECI has been actively working to ensure the accuracy of the voter lists. Lists of electors who were reported as deceased, permanently shifted, or having duplicate votes, as well as those who could not be contacted after at least three visits by BLOs, have been shared with all political parties and their BLAs on or before July 20.

The booth-wise Draft Electoral Roll was published on August 1st and made available to all political parties.

The draft list can be accessed on the ECI official website. The ECI is also providing regular updates on the status of claims and objections through daily bulletins, with the latest bulletin dated August 6.

IANS