EC's ECINET to be 'fully operational' by Bihar polls
The ECINET, which will have an aesthetic User Interface and a simplified User Experience by providing a singular platform for all electoral-related activities, is among the 21 initiatives rolled out by the EC in the past 100 days after Gyanesh Kumar took over as Chief Election Commissioner.
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India Today
21 hours ago
- India Today
Bihar Assembly polls likely to be held in two to three phases: Sources
Sources told India Today TV that the Bihar 2025 Assembly elections will likely be conducted in two to three phases. The election schedule is expected to be planned keeping in mind major festivals like Diwali and Chhath, sources added. The current term of the Bihar Assembly ends on November 22, 2025, and the election process must be completed before the last two elections also, Bihar saw polling over multiple phases. In 2020, the voting took place in three phases - 71 seats on October 28, 94 seats on November 3, and 78 seats on November 7 - with results declared on November 10. In 2015, the elections were held in five Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is expected to visit Bihar later this month to review preparations. Meanwhile, training is being provided to poll officials, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), to ensure accuracy in the electoral process. The Commission aims to avoid allegations over the voter list like those faced in Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi. To maintain transparency, the Commission has stated that no appeals were filed after the publication of final electoral rolls in Bihar, Haryana and Delhi between January 6 and 10, 2025. All BLOs will be issued ID cards to verify voter details through door-to-door visits. A special campaign will also be launched to add the names of first-time voters who have turned streamline election management, the Election Commission is introducing a single-point app ECINET, an integrated digital dashboard, that replaces the earlier need to use 40 different apps and websites. This system is expected to be fully functional by the Bihar measures are being implemented to address past concerns. Duplicate Electors Photo Identification Card (EPIC) numbers have been eliminated, and voter rolls will now be linked to the Registrar General of India's death records to remove names of deceased the voters, multiple improvements are being introduced: the number of electors per polling booth will be reduced from 1,500 to 1,200, more booths will be set up in densely populated areas, and efforts will be made to ensure no voter has to walk more than two kilometers to reach a polling booths will also be set up in high-rise buildings and voters will have access to mobile deposit facilities outside polling stations. Voter slips will now feature clearly printed serial and part numbers for easier Commission is also preparing to address the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. A dedicated cell will be set up to monitor AI-related election content. Political parties have already been advised to label AI-generated campaign material clearly to keep voters Watch
News18
21 hours ago
- News18
Bihar Assembly Polls Likely In 2-3 Phases; EC To Avoid Dates Coinciding With Diwali, Chhath
Last Updated: The term of the current Bihar assembly is scheduled to end on November 22 this year, thus the elections must be held before this date. The Bihar Assembly Elections are likely to be held in two to three phases, and the decision on the poll schedule will be taken keeping dates of Diwali and Chhath festivals in view, sources said on Monday. The Election Commission of India has begun preparations for polls for the state Assembly, the term of which will end on November 22 this year. It is therefore mandatory for the election process to be completed before the tenure of the current government comes to an end. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will visit Bihar this month to take stock of the situation. The ECI has already begun the training of its staff for the polls. Sources said that the ECI is making efforts to nullify the Opposition's allegations related to voter list fraud, like those made in previous Assembly polls, including in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Delhi. 'That's why training for BLOs (Booth Level Officers) has also been conducted. All BLOs will be provided identity cards so that they can go door-to-door for verification," sources said. A campaign will also be launched in Bihar to update the voter list, so that the names of young people turning 18 can be added. 'Now there will be no duplicate EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) numbers — they have been eliminated," sources said. Notably, after a crushing defeat in Maharashtra, Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, had alleged voter fraud, claiming that additional voters were added to the list to benefit the BJP. 'Soon, a special cell will be formed within the Commission to monitor AI-related issues," sources said. First Published: June 02, 2025, 12:56 IST
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
2 Or 3 Phases, Space For Diwali And Chhath: Sources On Bihar Election Dates
New Delhi: The 2025 Bihar Assembly Election may be held over two or three phases, Election Commission sources told NDTV Monday. The schedule will be decided keeping Diwali and Chhath Puja in mind, the sources also said. Diwali this year will be on October 20 and Chhath on October 28. The Bihar Assembly term ends on November 22, so the election process (including counting and declaration of results) must be finished before that. Sources said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will visit the state sometime this month to oversee preparations. Meanwhile, the poll panel is training to BLO, or booth level operators to ensure a fair election, and avoid allegations related to voter lists like those made by the Congress and other opposition parties after the 2024 Maharashtra and Haryana elections and the Delhi election in February. The Bharatiya Janata Party romped to victories in all three. In Delhi it thumped the Aam Aadmi Party to claim power in the national capital for the first time in nearly three decades, and in Haryana it overcame a strong start by the Congress to retain power for a third consecutive term in the heartland state. In Maharashtra voter list fraud was alleged after the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi failed to perform like in the Lok Sabha election a few months earlier. The Election Commission had strongly refused all such claims. And now, as part of a renewed effort to counter such allegations, the poll panel will provide all BLOs with identity cards, sources said. This will allow them to go door-to-door for verification. Also, a campaign will be held to update the voter list, so people turning 18 can be added. This will also, sources said, eliminate the problem of duplicate voter ID numbers. The Election Commission is also prepared to deal with challenges posed by AI, sources said. 2020 Bihar Election The 2020 Bihar election was held in three phases; voting was on October 28, November 3, and November 7, with results announced on November 10. The result was an overwhelming victory for the BJP and Janata Dal (United)-led alliance, but there was much drama that followed. JDU boss and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lived up to his ' paltu Kumar' sobriquet in just two years later, in August 2022, declaring "I would rather die than go with the BJP (anymore)". He re-aligned with Tejashwi Yadav and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, but then flipped again. Amid confusion and controversy, in January 2024 he dumped the RJD and returned to the BJP's side. The 2025 election will be keenly watched, as much for what Nitish Kumar does next as for the BJP building up steam ahead of a critical round of state polls next year, when Bengal and Assam will vote. Both polls will likely be dominated by fierce debates over issues like immigration. In 2026 Tamil Nadu and Kerala will also vote. Both states have historically rejected the BJP and its brand of muscular nationalism, with the former giving the DMK and Congress alliance big wins in the past three major polls - the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections.
