The Election Commission of India announced that Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting of votes set for November 14, 2025. The current Assembly’s term ends on November 22.
Several political parties urged the ECI to conduct the polls immediately after the Chhath festival to maximize voter turnout, while JD(U) and others pushed for single-phase voting, citing improved law and order in the state.
The ECI reviewed security and logistics in Patna to ensure free and fair elections, as both the INDIA and NDA alliances prepare to announce their seat-sharing agreements later this week.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the schedule for the Bihar Assembly elections, setting the stage for a high-stakes political contest in the state. Voting will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting of votes scheduled for November 14, 2025.
The term of the current 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly expires on November 22. Political parties across the spectrum had urged the Election Commission to hold the elections immediately after the Chhath festival, citing that a significant portion of the state’s population returns home during the festivities, ensuring higher voter turnout.
The announcement came following a press conference by the Commission, where new measures and processes for the upcoming polls were detailed. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had conducted a series of meetings in Patna over the weekend to review security arrangements, logistics, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure free, fair, and inducement-free elections.
Ahead of the schedule announcement, several political parties had met with the ECI, demanding transparent conduct of the polls. Some had also pressed for single-phase voting, arguing that Bihar no longer faces the kind of law and order challenges that previously necessitated staggered elections.
“We urged the EC to hold assembly elections in a single phase. It is possible. The state has no law and order problem, nor is it in the throes of Naxal violence. If elections could be held in a single phase in Maharashtra, why not here?” said JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha.
Meanwhile, both the INDIA and NDA alliances are expected to finalize and announce their seat-sharing arrangements later this week. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said discussions within the INDIA bloc were in their final stages and an announcement would be made soon.
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the BJP had won 74 seats, while Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) secured 43.
