Election Commission to Review Bihar Poll Preparations: CEC and Commissioners Set for Two-Day Patna Visit

The Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners will be visiting the state on October 4 and 5 to assess election preparedness.

New Delhi:

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and S S Sandhu, are scheduled to visit Patna for a two-day review of Bihar's poll preparations beginning Saturday, according to officials.

The 243-member Bihar legislative assembly's term concludes on November 22, with elections anticipated to be conducted in multiple phases starting late October and continuing into November.

It is standard procedure for the election authority to conduct state visits prior to announcing official election schedules.

The officials confirmed that the CEC and election commissioners will be present in the state on October 4 and 5.

During such review visits, the Election Commission meets with representatives from political parties and senior officials from police, administration, and the state election office to evaluate readiness for the polls.

At a recent briefing for general, police, and expenditure observers appointed by the Election Commission (EC) for the Bihar elections, officials were instructed to thoroughly acquaint themselves with all electoral laws, rules, and guidelines. They were also directed to provide direct field observations and ensure strict and impartial compliance with regulations.

These central observers function as the eyes and ears of the election authority, helping to maintain a level playing field for all candidates.

The observers were instructed to remain fully accessible to political parties, candidates, and voters to address their grievances effectively.

Additionally, they were directed to visit polling stations and ensure implementation of recent initiatives introduced by the Commission to enhance voter convenience.

During the briefing, CEC Kumar characterized the observers as the "beacon of democracy," according to an EC statement.

A total of 425 general, police, and expenditure observers are being deployed for both the Bihar elections and seven assembly by-elections.

The special intensive revision of Bihar's voter list has been completed, with the final electoral roll published on September 30 showing nearly 7.42 crore eligible voters.

This revision, conducted after a gap exceeding two decades, has faced strong criticism from opposition parties who claim it could disenfranchise millions of legitimate citizens.

The EC has firmly stated that it will ensure no eligible citizen is excluded from the voters' list while simultaneously preventing ineligible individuals from being included.