Poll authorities in Bihar have not received any application from candidates who were defeated in the recently-held Assembly polls with a request for EVM burnt-memory or microcontroller verification, the Election Commission (EC) said on Thursday.
It said no similar request was received for the eight Assembly bypolls held along with the second phase of polling in the Bihar election on November 11.
Following directions from the Supreme Court, the EC had issued revised standard operating procedures on post-counting checking and the verification of burnt memory or microcontroller of electronic voting machines (EVMs) on June 17, under which candidates at serial number 2 or 3, behind the highest-polled candidates, could seek checking and verification of EVMs within seven days of the declaration of the poll results.
The results of the Bihar election and Assembly bypolls were announced on November 14.

ECI, election commission of india, election commission

Election Commission said no similar request was received for the eight Assembly bypolls held along with the second phase of polling in the Bihar election on November 11

Press Trust of India

The new Bihar cabinet comprises 14 ministers from the BJP, eight from the JD(U), two from the LJP (Ram Vilas), and one each from Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha

Nitish Kumar, Nitish

Business Standard

Both leaders, who served as deputy chief ministers in the outgoing government, were re-elected in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections

Samrat Choudhary, Samrat

Only 64 constituencies or one-fourth of the total strength of the house had re-elected the same parties in 2010

Bihar Elections

NDA is set to form a new 35-member Nitish Kumar-led ministry after the 17th Assembly ended, as JDU-BJP finalise berths and the opposition names Tejashwi Yadav its leader

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, the Centre and the Election Commission, accusing them of misusing Constitutional institutions to undermine democracy.
Addressing an election rally in North Bengal's Maynaguri, she alleged the BJP-led Centre and the Election Commission were "snatching voting rights" and warned the next step could be attempts to snatch away citizenship by imposing NRC.
Banerjee also alleged that certain communities were being excluded from the poll processes through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
"Rajbanshis names have been removed through SIR. Women's names are also being removed. If deaths occur because of SIR, who will take responsibility?" she posed.
The Trinamool Congress supremo said, "The EC, BJP and the Centre are not following the Constitution and are trying to snatch away voting rights. Today, they are snatching away voting rights; tomorrow, they will snatch away citizenship

Mamata Banerjee

She made the remarks while launching her campaign for the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls from the politically crucial north Bengal

West Bengal's 2026 assembly election is shaping up not only as a high-stakes battle between the ruling TMC and the BJP but also as a dramatic stage for political comebacks, with several leaders seeking redemption after years of defeats, scandals, exile or organisational marginalisation.
In a state that still celebrates Sourav Ganguly's return to the Indian cricket team in 2006 after being dropped, as a symbol of resilience, the political arena too seems to be witnessing a season of second innings of leaders across parties.
From sidelined party veterans and leaders scarred by corruption probes to those returning to electoral politics after decades, the poll battlefield is dotted with figures seeking relevance once again.
For the BJP, the return of Dilip Ghosh to the electoral fray from Kharagpur Sadar, where his electoral career began in 2016, symbolises the most visible attempt at political resurgence.
A former RSS pracharak known for his blunt rhetoric and grassroots style, Ghosh 

polls, elections, voters, votes

From sidelined party veterans and leaders scarred by corruption probes to those returning to electoral politics after decades, the poll battlefield is dotted with figures seeking relevance once again

A high-stakes electoral battle unfolds in West Bengal as candidate reshuffles, voter roll revisions, and shifting political narratives redefine the contest

Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari will face each other again — this time in Bhabanipur

The CPI(M)-led Left Front is making job creation its main plank in the upcoming West Bengal assembly election to attract young voters back to its fold.
CPI(M) central committee member Samik Lahiri said the party is banking on a large number of young candidates fielded by it this elections as well as young volunteers to gain the support of the younger generation, a crucial factor for the Left as it suffered a huge dent in support from these sections in the last few elections in the state.
"The main plank of our campaign is job creation," he said.
"There is no job in the state; nearly 1.25 crore people, from unskilled to super-skilled, have left the state owing to lack of employment," the CPI(M) leader told PTI.
He said that the Left Front has developed an alternative job creation policy for the state, which it will unveil in its manifesto for the assembly elections.
The Left Front's poll manifesto is in its final stages and will be released very soon, Lahiri said.
"We are placing 

Left banks on jobs pitch, youth outreach to regain lost ground in Bengal

The first supplementary voter list in West Bengal is likely to be published on March 23, an Election Commission official said on Friday.
The scheduled release on March 19 was deferred at the last moment as the process was not yet completed.
The official said preparations are underway to display the updated voter list across nearly 80,000 polling booths in the state once it is finalised by next Monday.
The publication of the supplementary list assumes significance as it is likely to include the names of voters whose applications were marked as "under adjudication" after the final electoral roll was published on February 28.
According to the poll official, over 60 lakh names were initially marked as "under adjudication", of which more than 27 lakh cases have been disposed of till Friday afternoon.
The delay in publication triggered political reactions, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging that eligible voters were being harassed due to the delay.
The EC official attached to

The official said preparations are underway to display the updated voter list across nearly 80,000 polling booths in the state once it is finalised by next Monday

The party promised an increase of ₹500 in financial support for women, and a ₹1,500 monthly allowance for all unemployed youth in the state

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with party leader Abhishek Banerjee while presenting election manifesto.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the efforts of the Election Commission to "gerrymander" will not change the results in West Bengal Assembly elections, expressing confidence that Trinamool Congress will emerge victorious.
"No amount of effort by the Election Commission to gerrymander will change the results. Come counting day Mamata Didi will win a thumping majority," Abdullah posted on his personal X handle.
Commenting on the large-scale transfers ordered by the Election Commission in the poll-bound state, Abdullah said these things happen only in the states where the BJP is not in power.
"These sweeping transfers only happen in non-BJP ruled states & especially in West Bengal but that's no surprise. However, West Bengal will once again prove what I have always believed to be true - officers don't win elections for political parties, the leaders of political parties do," he added.
After announcing the schedule for the Assembly polls, the EC has ...

Omar Abdullah, Omar

Commenting on the large-scale transfers ordered by the Election Commission in the poll-bound state, Abdullah said these things happen only in the states where the BJP is not in power

BJP fields Suvendu Adhikari from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur as part of strategy to challenge Mamata Banerjee in upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls

In 2021, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (left) lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in the Nandigram Assembly seat

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that voter deletions in the post-SIR electoral rolls were aimed at dividing the state.
Addressing a gathering during her demonstration against the alleged arbitrary deletions from the electoral roll in the state, Banerjee accused the BJP of depriving Bengali-speaking people of their voting rights.
The CM continued her protest for the second consecutive day on Saturday, after she spent the night at the sit-in site at Metro Channel in central Kolkata.
"Their (Election Commission and BJP) intent is to divide Bengal. The BJP is planning to take away votes by dividing Bengal and turn parts of the state into a union territory. They (BJP leaders) are subjecting Bengali-speaking people to harassment in other states and are conspiring to deprive Bengalis of their voting rights," Banerjee alleged at the protest site.
The chief minister claimed that a day ago, she saw in a tweet that Bengal and Bihar could be divided to form a uni

Mamata Banerjee became the first sitting chief minister to  personally make submission  before the Supreme Court

The CM continued her protest for the second consecutive day on Saturday, after she spent the night at the sit-in site at Metro Channel in central Kolkata

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with senior officials and police officers in West Bengal on Tuesday to review preparedness for the upcoming assembly elections, officials said.
The CEC will also hold a press conference amid controversies over alleged arbitrary deletions in the post-SIR electoral rolls.
Kumar, along with election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, is scheduled to hold meetings with West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty, Director General of Police (DGP) Piyush Pandey and other senior officials to assess election-related arrangements in the state.
The poll panel will also review coordination between the state administration and security agencies, including the deployment of central armed police forces, the officials said.
The commission is scheduled to hold a meeting with the chief electoral officer of West Bengal, the state police nodal officer and the CAPF nodal officer to review logistica

Gyanesh Kumar, CEC

The chief election commissioner also emphasised that every eligible voter would have the opportunity to cast their ballot

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday praised the contributions of retiring Rajya Sabha members, saying their experience and participation strengthened parliamentary traditions.

India is staring at a widening LPG supply gap as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz hit imports. While alternative routes and US cargoes offer some relief, shortages could worsen in April.

The BJP is just one step away from achieving a rare milestone - 100 seats in the Rajya Sabha.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, has officially declared it will contest the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections alone. Watch the video to know why.

Assembly polls in Delhi will be held on February 5 and the votes counted on February 8, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Tuesday.

Election Results 2025: Check out the latest updates on election results, exit polls results, news and more on Business Standard. Explore more for the latest news on Assembly & Lok Sabha elections, opinion polls, Highlights, videos and more.

Election Results 2025, Lok Sabha Election News, Opinion Polls & Exit Poll Results Highlights | Business Standard

Check out the latest updates on election results, exit polls results, news and more on Business Standard. Explore more for the latest news on Assembly & Lok Sabha elections, opinion polls, Highlights, videos and more.

Election 2026

Voting rights being snatched today, citizenship next: Mamata slams BJP, EC

Fall, regroup, return: Bengal poll turns into season of political comebacks

The shadow of SIR on West Bengal Assembly elections sharpens battle lines

West Bengal election: Job creation main plank of CPI(M)-led Left Front

West Bengal's 1st supplementary voter list likely on March 23: EC official

Mamata releases TMC manifesto, expands welfare schemes for women, youth

Omar Abdullah alleges 'gerrymandering', backs TMC win in Bengal polls

West Bengal elections: Another Banerjee vs Adhikari showdown likely

Voter deletions in post-SIR rolls aimed at dividing Bengal: Mamata

No eligible voter will be removed, says CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Kolkata

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Assembly Elections 2026 Schedule

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