Bihar Election 2025 Likely After Chhath and Diwali, Dates Expected After Dussehra

Poll dates to be announced in October; voting likely in two phases amid voter list controversy and legal scrutiny

Bihar Election Dates Likely in November

The 2025 Bihar Assembly election is expected to be held in two phases in early November, with official dates likely to be announced after Dussehra (October 2).

Voting may take place in the first and second weeks of November
Chhath Puja (Oct 28) and Diwali (Oct 20) are being considered while finalizing dates
The term of the current Assembly ends on November 22
Election results are expected before the deadline to form the new Assembly

Voter List Controversy Looms Over Election

The election process comes amid a heated political and legal row over the Election Commission’s “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of Bihar’s voter list.

Voter count reduced from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore
65 lakh names removed, including:
- 22 lakh deceased voters
- 36 lakh migrated or untraceable voters
- ~7 lakh duplicate registrations
Supreme Court ruled EC has constitutional authority to revise voter lists
Opposition claims the SIR disproportionately affects marginalized voters

Political Stakes: BJP-JDU vs Mahagathbandhan

The Bihar election will witness a high-voltage contest between:

BJP + JDU alliance (ruling coalition)
Mahagathbandhan, led by Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)

Key political developments:

CM Nitish Kumar started with BJP in 2020, later joined Mahagathbandhan, and has now returned to the BJP fold
2020 result:
- NDA: 125 seats (BJP 74, JDU 43, Others 8)
- Mahagathbandhan: 110 seats (RJD 75, Congress 19, Others 16)

Election Commission’s Role & Next Steps

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and team to visit Bihar soon
Schedule to consider festive season impact
The EC maintains that the voter list revision ensures electoral integrity by removing ineligible entries, including Nepali and Bangladeshi nationals