Bihar, India: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to unveil the schedule for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections today. The official announcement will be made at 4 PM on Monday. The tenure of the current Bihar Assembly is due to end on November 22. Alongside Bihar, the by-election timetable for Telangana's Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency is also expected to be announced.

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and his team are on a two-day visit to Bihar to assess the state’s readiness for the polls. CEC Gyanesh Kumar stated that several new initiatives will be introduced during these elections, which may later be applied nationwide. One notable update is the inclusion of colored photographs of candidates on the ballot papers used in EVMs. The state’s voter list has already been updated with important amendments to ensure accuracy.

Bihar has a total of 243 assembly constituencies. The current assembly’s tenure will conclude in the last week of November. At present, the NDA holds power in the state. In the 2020 assembly elections, no single party secured a majority. Subsequently, JD(U) and BJP joined hands to form the government, with Nitish Kumar sworn in as Chief Minister. Two years later, he exited the NDA alliance and aligned with the Mahagathbandhan, consisting of RJD and Congress, reclaiming the chief ministership. However, this coalition did not last long. In January 2024, JD(U) left the grand alliance and returned to form the government with NDA, once again bringing Nitish Kumar to the Chief Minister position.