500 CAPF companies earmarked for safety

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday attributed three factors behind the poll body's decision to conduct the Bihar elections in two phases—greater support from paramilitary forces, greater transparency in the electoral process, and greater cooperation from voters.

- Vrinda Tulsian

In the past, Bihar’s assembly polls were sprawling affairs. The 2020 election was conducted in three phases, 2015 in five, and 2010 in six. Then, officials cited limited forces, tough terrain, and security vulnerabilities as reasons for spreading polling across multiple days. This year marks a major shift. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday said it received a very positive assessment of the security situation, with senior officials noting that “a lot has changed over five years in