Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Highlights: Voting in 2 phases in Nov, why parties expect high turnout

Thank you for joining our coverage on the Bihar assembly elections. Updates to this live blog are now closed. Here's a look at the latest developments -

• The stage is set for a direct contest between the NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc, with the polling scheduled on November 6 and November 11, and counting of votes on November 14.
• More than 7.4 crore electors are eligible to cast their votes in the 243-member Assembly, which is going to polls in a shorter format this time compared to previous elections.
• Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Monday announced that he would contest the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar and the list of his party's candidates will be declared on October 9.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday asserted that CCTV footage of polling stations can only be shared with high courts, saying giving such electronic records to the public breaches the privacy of voters. He said webcasting footage of voting is akin to Form 17A, which is not shared with political parties to protect the identity of electors who voted and did not cast a ballot.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Following the announcement of the Bihar elections dates, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda expressed confidence that the NDA would once again receive a decisive mandate under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. Shah congratulated the people of Bihar on what he described as the "grand festival of democracy." He said that under the leadership of PM Modi, the NDA government has freed Bihar from "Jungle Raj" and placed it firmly on the path of development and good governance.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Aanganwadi workers will be present at all polling booths in Bihar during the upcoming Assembly polls to help verify the identity of burqa-clad voters, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said on Monday. Responding to a question about ghungat and burqa clad women during a press conference for the announcement of the Bihar election schedule, Kumar said there are clear guidelines of the Election Commission about the verification of identity inside polling booths and they will be strictly followed.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Here are some of the key constituencies out of 121, which will go to polls in the first phase on November 6:

• Raghopur -- RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) --Tejashwi Prasad Yadav
• Begusarai -- BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) -- Kundan Kumar
• Khagaria -- INC (Indian National Congress) -- Chhatrapati Yadav
• Ujairpur -- RJD--Alok Kumar Mehta
• Lakhisarai -- BJP --Vijay Kumar Sinha
• Hilsa -- JD (U) (Janata Dal (United) -- Krishnamurari Sharan
• Nalanda -- JD(U) -- Shrawon Kumar
• Barh -- BJP -- Gyanendra Kumar Singh
• Patna Sahib -- BJP -- Nand Kishore Yadav
• Arrah -- BJP -- Amrendra Pratap Singh
• Shahpur -- RJD-- Rahul Tiwary
• Buxar -- INC-- Sanjay Kr. Tiwari

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Here are some of the key constituencies out of 122, which will go to polls in the second phase on November 11:

• Valmikinagar -- Janata Dal (United) -- Dhirendra Pratap Singh
• Kargahar -- Indian National Congress (INC) -- Santosh Kumar Mishra
• Karakat -- Communist Party of India - (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) -- Arun Singh
• Bettiah -- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- Renu Devi
• Motihari -- BJP -- Pramod Kumar
• Imamganj -- Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) -- Deepa Kumari
• Sitamarhi -- BJP -- Mithilesh Kumar
• Madhubani -- Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) -- Samir Kumar Mahaseth
• Jhanjharpur -- BJP -- Nitish Mishra
• Araria -- INC -- Abidur Rahman
• Kishanganj -- INC -- Ijaharul Husain
• Purnea -- BJP -- Vijay Kumar Khemka

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: The stage is set for a direct contest between the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc as the Election Commission announced the schedule of the two-phase election. More than 7.4 crore electors are eligible to cast their votes in the 243-member Assembly, which is going to polls in a shorter format this time compared to previous elections.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Janata Dal-United (JD-U) spokesperson Abhishek Jha said the NDA partners would take collective decisions on joint campaigning. Taking a swipe at rivals, he added, “We don’t start preparing for exams when dates are announced. (Chief minister) Nitish Kumar has already delivered on his Saat Nischay I and II promises.”

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: With the EC announcing two-phase Bihar assembly elections on November 6 and 11 — coinciding with the festive season — political parties across the spectrum expect that the home coming of a significant section of the state’s nearly 10 million migrant population for the celebrations would potentially boost the voter turnout. BJP MP from Nawada Vivek Thakur said the festive period often reshapes the state’s campaign dynamics. “Chhath is when all public meetings are put on hold. The candidates move around the ghats as thousands gather to offer prayers to the setting and rising Sun,” he said.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Bihar elections are likely to settle the debate on whether the opposition has finally found a potent political plank in its protest against SIR as the ruling NDA looks to maintain its firm grip on a state. However, questions about his health have persisted and a popular verdict will clear the air on whether the JD(U) president continues to endure as the talismanic helmsman in the state's electoral battle or Tejashwi Yadav as the de facto face of the Opposition can trump the chief minister, a feat that eluded his charismatic father, Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, while speaking of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, said: “We don't want a CM who pleads, we want a CM who roars like a lion...A festival begins today...With Tejashwi, every Bihari will be a CM this time, they will be CM - Change Maker.”

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday exuded confidence of Mahagathbandhan's victory in Bihar elections. Speaking to ANI, Tejashwi said, “14th Nov date will be written in golden letters in history. People of Bihar want change. They want the Govt of Mahagathbandhan this time. For 20 years, they gave crime, corruption, bureaucracy, tyranny and scam to the state. People of Bihar are done with this. CM is not in his senses. We don't want a CM who pleads, we want a CM who roars like a lion. Someone who can fight for the rights of the people of Bihar and get them justice...Mahagathbandhan will form the Govt...When Tejashwi becomes the CM, there will be no house in Bihar which will have unemployed youth.”

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: After Bihar, the Election Commission is gearing up to condcut a nationwide revision of voter lists. Speaking on Monday, CEC Gyanesh Kumar said that the process of a pan-India SIR has started and with Bihar, this process highlights a bid to purify voter rolls.

The Election Commission will announce the statewide dates at a later date.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Bihar will head to the polls in two-phases - November 6 and November 11. As Bihar heads to polls, here are six leaders who will be in the thick of action -

Narendra Modi

Nitish Kumar

Tejaswhi Yadav

Rahul Gandhi

Prashant Kishor

Asaduddin Owaisi

Here's why

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: The dates for the highly anticipated Bihar assembly elections are here! As per the official announcement from the Election Commission, Bihar will go to the polls in two phases. Here's a look at the key dates -

Phase one voting - November 6, 2025

Phase two voting - November 11, 2025.

Counting of votes/Results - November 14, 2025.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: The Election Commission has stated that a total of 69 lakh voters deleted in Bihar list due to deaths, non-citizenship, migration, duplication. However, a detailed break-up regarding the numbers was not available.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Over 7.4 crore people are eligible to vote in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. This includes 14 lakh first-time voters, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Monday.

"There are a total of 7.42 crore voters in Bihar, of which 3.92 crore are males and 3.5 crore are women. There are 14 lakh first-time voters and 4 lakh senior citizen voters," said CEC.

Furthermore, at least 14,000 voters in the state are aged above 100 years. The CEC added that a total of 90,712 polling stations will be set up in the state.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday said it will be contesting from all 243 seats in the Bihar elections. The party has also released its first list of 11 candidates for the state elections.

The list includes the names of Dr Meera Singh (Begusarai), Yogi Chaupal (Kurushewar), Amit Kumar Singh (Taraiya), Bhanu Bhartiya (Kasba), Shubhda Yadav (Benipatti), Arun Kumar Rajak (Phulwari), Pankaj Kumar (Bankipur), Ashraf Alam (Kishanganj), Akhilesh Narayan Thakur (Parihar), Ashok Kumar Singh, (Govindganj), and Capt Dharmraj Singh (Buxar).

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Jammu and Kashmir and Odisha will be heading to the booths for a bye-election together. In Jammu and Kashmir, the elections will be held for the constituencies of Budgam because of the resignation of Omar Abdullah and in Nagrota due to the death of Devender Singh Rana.

In Odisha, bye-election will be held for Nuapada due to the death of Rajendra Dholakia. Here's a look at the key dates -

• Date of Issue of Gazette Notification: 13 October 2025 (Monday)
• Last Date for Making Nominations: 20 October 2025 (Monday)
• Date for Scrutiny of Nominations: 22 October 2025 (Wednesday)
• Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidatures: 24 October 2025 (Friday)
• Date of Poll: 11 November 2025 (Tuesday)
• Date of Counting of Votes: 14 November 2025 (Friday)

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Along with Bihar, the EC will also conduct bye-elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Mizoram, Punjab, Telangana, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. Here's a look at the key dates -

Voting - November 11, 2025.

Counting of votes - November 14, 2025.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: Speaking at the press conference, CEC Gyanesh Kumar has claimed that Bihar has shown the way to the nation on purifying voter lists. The CEC's remark comes after the Special Intensive Revision exercise was carried out across the state to update the voter lists.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: The second phase of the Bihar elections will be held for 122 assembly constituencies. Here's a look at the key dates -

Date of notification - October 13

Last date to make nominations - October 20

Scrutiny for nominations - October 21

Last date for withdrawal of candidature - October 23

Date of poll - November 11

Counting of votes - November 14

Date before which election shall be completed - November 16

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: In the first phase, polling will be held for 121seats in the Bihar assembly. The voting will be held on November 6, 2025. Here's the full schedule for the first phase -

Date of notification - October 10

Last date to make nominations - October 17

Scrutiny for nominations - October 18

Last date for withdrawal of candidature - October 20

Date of poll - November 6

Counting of votes - November 14

Date before which election shall be completed - November 16

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: As per EC, the Bihar elections will be conducted in two phases - November 6 and November 11. The results and counting of votes will be done on November 14.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025 Date Live: As per EC, the EVMs will now feature coloured photographs of the candidate, party symbol. CEC Kumar added that the name and serial number will also be printed in bold letters.