Bihar Assembly polls to be held before Nov 22: CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has been widely appreciated by electorates, political parties and other stakeholders of the democracy. Replying to the questions over several criticisms of the SIR during the press conference in Patna, Kumar said the SIR was undertaken lawfully and according to provisions. Kumar said all stakeholders participated in the SIR drive, and after the draft publication of the Electoral Rolls, 3.66 lakh voters came forward to remove their names from the list, sensing their responsibility. The CEC praised the commitment and devotion of BLOs for the successful completion of SIR. CEC Kumar said that elections in Bihar will be held before November 22, when the term of the State Assembly ends. Kumar said Bihar has 243 assembly constituencies, including two reserved for STs and 38 for SCs.

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar says, "Approximately 65 lakh names were deleted earlier, and now 3.66 lakh names have been deleted, which are of ineligible voters... If anyone has any complaint, they can appeal to the District Magistrate. As… pic.twitter.com/7ZzcesnOCX

— ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2025

He added that 17 new initiatives have been rolled out to conduct free, fair and peaceful assembly elections in Bihar, and it will be a great experience for the electorate who will go to cast their votes. On the inclusion of Aadhaar in the documents for the upcoming SIR in the country, Kumar said Aadhaar will remain proof of identity, not citizenship, and the decision has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Earlier, the full Election Commission held review meetings with different stakeholders, including political parties, administrative officers, the Chief Secretary, the DGP, nodal officers of state police forces and Central police forces and various enforcement agencies.