As Bihar elections near, EC team lands in state to review poll preparedness
With the countdown to the Bihar assembly elections underway, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with two other election commissioners, will be in the state on a two-day visit to review preparations before the official announcement of poll dates.The visit comes just days after the Election Commission published the final electoral roll for Bihar, revealing that the state will go to the polls with 7.42 crore registered voters—a notable drop of nearly 47 lakh compared to the 7.89 crore electors listed before the start of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in June.
During the revision, nearly 65 lakh names were removed, which the EC said was largely due to duplication, deaths, and unverified migration. This brought the draft list, released on August 1, down to 7.24 crore. However, following a Supreme Court directive, the ECI broadened the scope of acceptable documents for residence proof, allowing many citizens to reclaim their place on the voter list. This led to the addition of 21.5 lakh new voters, even as 3.66 lakh ineligible names were further weeded out.
While the final roll still reflects a net decline in voters, political parties are now deploying booth-level agents to verify the accuracy of the rolls. Concerns have emerged, particularly from the Opposition, that a disproportionate number of women and marginalised voters may have been excluded. The ruling JDU-BJP alliance has welcomed the revised figures, but Opposition leaders argue that the revision may have adversely impacted vulnerable populations, citing anecdotal evidence of mass deletions in rural and migrant-heavy areas.
Meanwhile, the ECI has appointed 470 central observers, including 320 IAS and 60 IPS officers, to monitor the Bihar elections and simultaneous bypolls in eight other states. The Bihar elections are likely to be held in three phases, with the entire process expected to conclude before November 22, when the current assembly term ends.
Welfare measures and infrastructure push ahead of polls
With an eye on the polls, ahead of the election schedule announcement, the Bihar cabinet, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, approved a slew of welfare and development initiatives aimed at key constituencies of government employees, students, healthcare workers, and urban voters.
Topping the list of announcements is a 3 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees, raising it from 55 per cent to 58 per cent, in line with the Central government’s recent decision. The move will benefit lakhs of employees and pensioners and is likely to have a strong electoral resonance among middle-class voters.
In another key decision, the Cabinet increased the monthly honorarium for Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) working on contract in urban vaccination drives from Rs 11,500 to Rs15,000, along with a provision for a 5 per cent annual increment. The announcement comes at a time when public health infrastructure and worker morale have become core electoral issues.
The government also doubled the scholarship amounts for students from Class I to X, a move that could influence the rural and lower-income electorate. The newly approved amount will be between Rs 1,200 to Rs 3,600 up from Rs 600 to Rs 1,800. A total of Rs 300 crore has been sanctioned to fund the increased scholarships.
The cabinet also greenlit the establishment of the Bihar Film and Theatre Institute, signalling a cultural investment in the state’s creative sector.
Alongside welfare measures, the cabinet approved significant institutional expansions and job creation through new posts in several government bodies and departments.
In terms of regional development, Rs 64.77 crore has been approved for the Phase 1 redevelopment of Simaria Dham in Begusarai. Separately, the iconic Vishnupad Temple in Gaya will be developed on the model of Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.
These wide-ranging cabinet decisions, unveiled just ahead of the Model Code of Conduct, are being seen as part of a final welfare push by the ruling alliance to bolster its position before the state enters official election mode.
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