The Bihar Assembly elections are likely to be held after the Chhath festival, which falls in late October, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) actively engaging with political parties to ensure a smooth and fair electoral process.

Key Developments:

• All-Party Meeting: The ECI recently convened a meeting with representatives from 12 political parties in Patna to discuss preparations for the upcoming elections. The meeting provided a platform for parties to voice their opinions and suggestions regarding the conduct of the polls.
• JDU's Demand for Single-Phase Voting: The Janata Dal (United) (JDU), a key member of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has called for the elections to be held in a single phase. JDU Bihar president Umesh Singh Kushwaha stated that scheduling the elections immediately after Chhath would allow voters arriving from outside the state to cast their votes.
• BJP's Stance: While supporting the idea of holding the elections in one or two phases, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) proposed restrictions on women wearing burqas at polling booths. BJP State President Dilip Jaiswal emphasized the need to conclude the election process swiftly to avoid increased expenditures associated with extended polling periods. He also suggested deploying paramilitary forces in vulnerable areas before the election.
• Other Parties' Suggestions: The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has suggested conducting the elections in two phases, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) raised concerns about the expenses incurred by candidates with criminal records for publishing details in newspapers. The BSP proposed that the Election Commission should set the publication rates.
• ECI's Preparations: The ECI is actively preparing for the elections, with the final electoral roll for Bihar published on September 30. The electoral roll includes 7.42 crore voters. The ECI is expected to announce the election schedule soon, potentially in the coming week. The commission has also deployed 470 officers as central observers for the polls.
• CEC's Visit to Bihar: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, visited Bihar on October 4 and 5 to assess election preparedness.
• Timing of Elections: The tenure of the current Bihar Legislative Assembly expires on November 22, 2025. It is expected that the elections will be held in late October or early November, taking into account the festive season.

Political Dynamics:

The upcoming elections will likely be a contest between the NDA and the INDIA bloc. In the 2020 elections, the NDA secured a majority with 125 seats (BJP 74, JDU 43, HAM(S) 4, and 2 independents), while the INDIA bloc won 110 seats (RJD 75, Congress 19, CPI(ML)-Liberation 12, CPI(M) 2, and CPI 2).

Past Elections:

The 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly election was held in three phases in October and November. In 2015, the elections were conducted in five phases.