Bihar elections to be held in two phases, results on November 14: ECI

Bihar will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results set to be announced on November 14, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Monday (October 6).

The ECI said the state has 7.43 crore voters, including 14 lakh first-time voters. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar added that the elections will be smooth and well-managed.

“Bihar elections will be easy for voters. Full monitoring of law and order will be maintained. Bihar election will be reflected as the best election,” he said while announcing the poll dates.

The upcoming Bihar assembly elections are expected to be a close fight between the ruling BJP-JD(U) alliance and the opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress.

Adding a new element to the race is Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, which is positioning itself as an alternative force in state politics.

In the 2020 elections, held during the Covid-19 pandemic, the BJP won 75 of the 110 seats it contested. Over time, its strength grew through defections and bypoll wins. The NDA as a whole secured a majority with 125 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan won 110, with the RJD emerging as the single largest party with 75 seats.

The NDA in Bihar, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U), also includes Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha led by Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha.