Bihar Elections 2025: Check the List of 17 New Reforms Announced By ECI

Ahead of the 2025 Assembly Elections in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has declared a number of new reforms to ensure transparency, efficiency, and accessibility in voting. Dubbed as the "mother of all elections", the election will feature 17 important innovations that are being launched for the first time in the state.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025: Schedule and Key Details

The Bihar Assembly Election 2025 will be held in two phases in all 243 constituencies with results announced just three days after the last round of votes.

More than 7.4 crore voters are registered, and the Model Code of Conduct was enforced as of October 6, 2025. The last Assembly's term is set to expire on 22 November 2025, so the election process will finish prior to that date.

• The state is seeing a big triangular fight between:

• The NDA (BJP, JD(U), LJP-R, HAM, RLM)

• The Mahagathbandhan or INDIA alliance (RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI, CPM)

• The new Jan Suraaj Party headed by Prashant Kishor, fielding candidates in all 243 seats.

17 Reforms Implemented by the Election Commission

The ECI has made 17 significant reforms to increase transparency and convenience of the Bihar elections:

1. 100% Webcasting: All polling booths in Bihar will have live cameras for real-time streaming.

2. Voter Roll Revision: Comprehensive updating of voter rolls will prevent duplicates and add new voters.

3. Increased Payment to Poll Staff: Increased honorariums for security and election staff.

4. Training of Booth Level Agents: Organized sessions for political party representatives to learn poll process.

5. BLO Training: Refreshment training to Booth Level Officers for accurate data and citizen facilitation.

6. Police Training Modules: Security personnel will receive special election-duty training.

7. Free Doorstep Delivery of EPICs: New and revised voter ID cards to be home-delivered.

8. Photo IDs for BLOs: Enhanced responsibility through compulsory ID cards.

9. Enhanced Voter Slips: Slips with booth QR codes and more legible information.

10. Mobile Deposits at Booths: Confidentiality counters for mobile phones to preserve secrecy.

11. Campaign Booths Moved: Candidate booths permitted outside 100 metres of the voting area.

12. Limit of 1,200 Voters per Booth: Minimized crowding for quicker voting.

13. Colour Photos on EVMs: Candidate photographs to assist voters in easily recognizing their candidates.

14. Easy Postal Ballot Counting: Quicker and more open postal ballot processing.

15. Compulsory VVPAT Audit: Audit necessary wherever EVM discrepancy occurs.

16. Digitised Index Reporting: Real-time report compiling and reporting.

17. Improved Accessibility Arrangements: Ramps, drinking water, and wheelchairs for differently abled and elderly citizens.

Political Context 

This election is a defining point for Bihar's political destiny. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, looking for a 10th term, is met with tough competition from Tejashwi Yadav's RJD coalition and debutante Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party. The 2025 elections promise to test the sustainability of coalitions and remap leadership equations in the state.

The adoption of these 17 reforms would create a national precedent for technology implementation and election management. These innovations, if successful, would have the potential to transform future Lok Sabha and state elections, making India's electoral process more transparent, voter-friendly, and democratic at the national level.