Poll body announces 17 new reforms

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday announced the introduction of 17 new initiatives ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, adding that these measures are intended not only to enhance the electoral process in the state but also to serve as models for nationwide implementation in the future.

"17 new initiatives have been successfully implemented in Bihar, some will be implemented in the conduct of elections, and some in counting," CEC Kumar said. Addressing a press conference in Patna at the conclusion of his visit to Bihar, Kumar outlined key initiatives, including a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that aims to ensure delivery of EPIC (Elector Photo Identity Cards) within 15 days of voter registration. Additionally, a mobile deposit facility will be available at polling booths to streamline the voting process.

Bihar has become the first state in the country where every polling station will now serve fewer than 1,200 voters, following a significant move by the Election Commission aimed at easing voter access and reducing queue lengths. As part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the previous cap of 1,500 voters per booth has been lowered to 1,200, prompting the addition of 12,817 new polling stations and raising the total count from 77,895 to 90,712.

Furthermore, the Chief Election Commissioner also highlighted that the poll-bound Bihar will be the first state to feature larger fonts and colour photographs of candidates on Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) ballots, replacing the current black-and-white images that often make candidate identification difficult despite the clarity of election symbols.

Kumar stated that booth-level officials will now carry official ID cards for easier recognition. He also said that voters will be required to deposit their mobile phones outside the polling booth. "Mobile phones can be deposited in a room outside the booth. This process will be implemented throughout Bihar," the panel chief said.

The Election Commissioner also announced that all polling stations in Bihar will have complete webcasting coverage to ensure greater transparency during the elections. "There will be 100 percent webcasting at every polling station," the panel chief said. Kumar explained that earlier, any discrepancies between Form 17C and the EVM counting unit necessitated a full recount of all the affected VVPATs.

Furthermore, Kumar also announced that the Bihar Assembly elections would be completed before November 22, adding that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter rolls had been completed by the deadline.

The poll panel presser came a day after most of the political parties met Kumar and expressed their desire to conduct Assembly elections "immediately after Chhath", the most popular festival of Bihar, which falls later this month. According to the statement, political parties thanked the Election Commission for the "successful completion" of the 'historic' SIR of electoral rolls in the state -- a process that has, ironically, triggered a major political controversy ahead of the Assembly elections.