Bihar assembly elections will be held in five phases from October 12. Results will be declared on November 8
The Bihar assembly elections will be held in five phases from October 12 to November 5 this year. Votes will be counted on Sunday, November 8, the Election Commission has announced today.
The first phase of the election will be held on October 12, the second on October 16, the third on October 28, the fourth on November 1 and the fifth and last on November 5, said
Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi at a press conference.
A model code of conduct is now in place, he announced.
Bihar has 243 assembly constituencies and 6.68 crore voters.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar makes a bid this year to win a third straight term in office, facing off with the BJP, which was his ally in the last two assembly elections that he had won. He is partnering this time with Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Congress.
The BJP hopes to post its first standalone victory in the state after years of being the junior partner of Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United). It has in its coalition three regional parties and is counting on extending its performance in the national election last year, when it had won 32 of Bihar's 40 seats.
The Election Commission said today that the electronic voting machines or EVMs in the Bihar election have photographs of candidates for voters to identify them better.
Mr Zaidi emphasised on "ethical voting" and said the Commission is committed to ensure "voting without fear, intimidation or fear from anti-social elements."
The Commission would conduct a "systematic voter education programme," he said.