Subhechcha Ganguly 
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to announce the schedule for the Bihar Assembly elections today at 4 PM, officials confirmed. The announcement follows an extensive two-day review of the state’s poll preparedness conducted in Patna.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, held a series of meetings with top state officials to assess security arrangements, logistics, and enforcement readiness. “We are fully committed to conducting elections in Bihar that are transparent, inclusive, and peaceful,” CEC Gyanesh Kumar said.
The comprehensive review covered every key aspect of election planning — including EVM management, polling station rationalisation, staff training, law and order arrangements, and voter awareness initiatives. District Election Officers and Superintendents of Police were instructed to monitor social media closely for misinformation and take immediate legal action when necessary.
Ahead of the announcement, the poll panel also met representatives from major political parties such as the BJP, JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), and AAP to seek their suggestions on the poll schedule. Several parties requested that the elections be held after Chhath Puja, Bihar’s most important festival, to encourage higher voter turnout.
JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha said the party had urged the Commission to conduct polling in a single phase soon after the festival so that migrant voters could return home to participate. The BJP echoed the demand, also calling for one or two-phase polling and the deployment of central forces in sensitive areas to ensure voter confidence.
