The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on October 31 unveiled its joint manifesto, Sankalp Patra, ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. The manifesto focuses on employment generation, economic growth, and infrastructure development. Key promises include creating over one crore government and private-sector jobs, establishing a defence corridor, developing a world-class medical city, and setting up mega-skill centres to boost youth employment. The NDA also pledged improved connectivity, agricultural reforms, and women’s empowerment initiatives. The alliance aims to project stability and growth, highlighting “Viksit Bihar” as its core campaign vision.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav during a rally in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Modi called them the “Yuvrajs of Corruption,” accusing both of representing “the most corrupt families” in India and Bihar. He said the two leaders were out on bail in multi-crore scams and had opened “shops of false promises.” Modi added that those born into privilege could not tolerate a leader from a humble background. The remarks came a day after Rahul Gandhi mocked the Prime Minister, saying he would “dance on stage” for votes. (PC: India Today)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “scared” of US President Donald Trump. Speaking at a rally in Bihar’s Darbhanga, Gandhi said Modi must publicly deny Trump’s claim that he stopped the India-Pakistan conflict. Trump recently said he used trade pressure to push both countries towards a ceasefire after India’s Operation Sindoor in May. India has rejected any third-party role, saying the ceasefire was reached directly between Indian and Pakistani military officials. Gandhi urged Modi to clarify the truth, saying, “If Trump is lying, say it clearly in Parliament.” (PC: ANI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began his Bihar election campaign in Muzaffarpur with a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He said PM Modi would “dance for votes” and accused him of ignoring real issues like unemployment and poverty. Gandhi also alleged that the BJP controls Nitish Kumar like a “remote” and warned of attempts to “steal votes” in the state. He urged people to support the Grand Alliance for an inclusive government. Gandhi promised to create jobs, boost local industries, and make Bihar a global centre of education. (PC: India Today)

The Election Commission has excluded Assam from the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the state has separate citizenship laws and its Supreme Court-monitored National Register of Citizens (NRC) process is still ongoing. The EC said voter list revision instructions for Assam will be issued later. Congress called the decision politically motivated, while BJP supported it. Assam is due for Assembly elections next year. Officials said pre-SIR activities like voter mapping and verification are continuing in the state until a separate order is released. (PC: X)

The Election Commission has launched the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists across 12 states. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said Booth Level Officers will make three visits to each household to verify voter details. The updated rolls will be published by February 2026. The exercise aims to remove duplicate and fake entries and add new voters. Volunteers will assist senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and poor families. Voter lists in these states will be frozen tonight. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and Puducherry are among the poll-bound states included. (PC: India Today)

The Election Commission of India announced the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists across 12 states. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the SIR aims to remove bogus, duplicate, and ineligible names from rolls and add new voters. The first phase was completed in Bihar, where voter numbers dropped after verification. The voter list for the 12 states will freeze tonight. The SIR process will include house visits by booth-level officers and online updates by electors. The next phase is expected to begin in November in states going to polls next year. (PC: HT)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that an artificial pond filled with filtered water was created near the Yamuna at Vasudev Ghat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ceremonial Chhath Puja dip in Delhi, accusing the BJP of attempting to mislead the public and gain Purvanchali voter support. AAP claimed ordinary devotees were left to worship in the polluted river while the PM used a “fake Yamuna.” The BJP dismissed the charges as baseless and politically motivated, asserting that all ghats were properly cleaned and reopened for public use.    

Ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Tejashwi Yadav, the CM-face of the INDIA bloc, announced a major welfare package for grassroots elected bodies. He promised that, if the alliance forms the government, allowances for representatives of the three-tier panchayati raj system will be doubled, and pension benefits will be introduced. Additionally, each representative would receive insurance coverage of ₹50 lakh. Yadav also pledged to raise the margin money for public distribution system distributors and provide interest-free loans of ₹5 lakh to barbers, potters and carpenters. (PC: PTI)    

The Election Commission (EC) will announce the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 10-15 states on October 27. The press briefing is expected at 4:15 pm and will likely be led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The first phase will include states preparing for Assembly elections in 2026, such as Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry. The voter roll revision aims to update records and remove illegal foreign migrants. States with ongoing local elections may have revisions deferred. Bihar has already updated its voter list for upcoming polls. (PC: India Today)