CEC Gyanesh Kumar Announces Major Electoral Reforms Ahead Of Bihar Assembly Polls

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, on Sunday, unveiled a series of important measures for the forthcoming Bihar Assembly elections during a press briefing in Patna.

His announcements followed two consecutive days of consultations with senior state officials.

Beginning his speech in Bhojpuri and Maithili, Kumar called on citizens to approach the elections with the same spirit as festivals.

“Just as we celebrate Chhath with devotion and enthusiasm, we must celebrate this great festival of democracy. Ensure your participation, fulfil your responsibility, and vote,” he urged.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar went on to highlight the success of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.

For the first time in the country, booth-level officers (BLOs) engaged directly with voters to clean up the rolls.

“Just as Vaishali gave the country a republic, Bihar’s BLOs have now set a record in SIR,” he said, noting that other states will likely emulate this model.

Among the key reforms, the CEC announced that voter ID cards will now issued within 15 days of application, putting an end to lengthy delays.

He further clarified, “Any mismatch between EVM and VVPAT during counting will result in a complete count of all VVPATs in that constituency. The counting of postal ballots must be completed before the last two rounds of EVM counting, and the maximum number of voters per booth will be capped at 1,200.”

Polling Stations Equipped with Real-Time Webcasting

Bihar will have 90,000 polling stations in total, all equipped with real-time webcasting to enhance transparency.

Candidates must appoint polling agents at each booth to verify mock poll results and check Form 17C figures before voting begins.

Kumar commended BLOs for their contribution to the SIR exercise, announcing higher allowances and identity cards for them.

He also revealed that officials had conducted police training for this election in Delhi, rather than in Bihar, to strengthen security planning.

Through these steps, the Election Commission has demonstrated its commitment to holding a free, transparent, and well-organised election in Bihar, which will likely witness a closely fought political contest later this year.

National leaders raised the issue of infiltrators and foreign nationals, but Kumar declined to provide specific figures, explaining that the final voter list had not yet confirmed the exact numbers.

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