The elections to Bihar Assembly will be conducted in two phases, covering all 243 constituencies in the State. The first phase of polling will take place on November 6 for 121 constituencies, while the second phase on November 11 will cover the remaining 122 constituencies. Counting of votes will be done on November 14, said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday.
There are 203 general constituencies, two reserved for Scheduled Tribes, and 38 for Scheduled Castes in Bihar. The State has 74.3mne eligible voters, including close to 39.2mn men, 35mn women, and 1,725 transgender persons. About 14,01,000 are first-time voters (18-19 age group). The gazette notification for the first phase of polling will be issued on October 10, and the last date to file nominations is October 17. For the second phase, the gazette notification will be issued on October 13, and the last date to file nominations is October 20.
At a press conference, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said the final electoral roll has been shared with all the political parties. In case voters notice errors in the list, they can file an appeal with the District Magistrate. If any eligible person has been left out, they can have their names added until 10 days before the last date for filing nominations.
Kumar said that of the total 90,712 polling stations across the State, 13,911 will cover urban areas and 76,801 will be set up in rural areas. While 292 of these stations will be managed by persons with disabilities, 1,044 will be managed by women, and 38 by youth. The average number of eligible voters per polling station is 818. “Webcasting will be done at all the polling stations for the first time,” he said.
Seat-sharing talks intensify
While the seat-sharing formula between the BJP and JD(U) is nearly finalised, managing coordination within the NDA remains a challenge. The BJP leadership is making continuous efforts to appease its allies, as LJP (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan and HAM(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi remain firm on their respective demands. On the other hand, seat-sharing activity is also gaining momentum within the INDIA alliance. Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani told the media that alliance partners have reached an internal agreement, and a formal announcement will be made on Wednesday evening through a press conference.