West Champaran district in Bihar is gearing up for assembly elections, with polling scheduled for November 11 across nine constituencies. The district administration has established a central control room to ensure smooth, fair, and transparent conduct of elections in all nine assembly segments: Valmiki Nagar, Ramnagar, Narkatiaganj, Bagaha, Lauriya, Nautan, Chanpatiya, Bettiah, and Sikta. The control room will function continuously from November 8 to November 12, operating in shifts around the clock. Located at the meeting hall in the collectorate, this central facility has been set up under the directions of District Election Officer Dharmendra Kumar. Its primary objective is to provide constant monitoring and coordination before, during, and after the voting process. The control room will oversee critical aspects including deployment of polling staff, police force arrangements, distribution of electronic voting machines and voter-verified paper audit trails, conduct of mock polls, law and order assessment, and safe return of polling teams after voting concludes. Deputy Election Officer Yashlok Ranjan has been appointed as the officer in charge, with Nandlal Chaudhary serving as the supporting officer. Senior supervision has been assigned to Additional Collector and Public Grievance Redressal Officer Anil Sinha. Separate telephone numbers have been issued for all nine assembly constituencies to ensure rapid information exchange and quick resolution of complaints. Similar control rooms have also been mandated at every returning officer level and block level to strengthen the communication network during voting day and enable immediate action during emergencies.
Control Room Operations and Structure
The district administration has set up a central control room at the collectorate's meeting hall, which will remain operational 24 hours a day from November 8 to November 12. The control room has been organized with clear hierarchical responsibilities. Deputy Election Officer Yashlok Ranjan will lead the operations, supported by Nandlal Chaudhary. Overall senior supervision rests with Additional Collector and Public Grievance Redressal Officer Anil Sinha. The facility is designed to handle all election-related communications and emergencies. Dedicated telephone numbers have been assigned for each of the nine assembly constituencies to facilitate swift information flow and prompt complaint redressal. This systematic approach ensures that every issue reported from any polling station receives immediate attention and resolution through the centralized command structure.
Nine Constituencies Going to Polls
Polling will take place across nine assembly constituencies in West Champaran district on November 11, 2025. These constituencies are Valmiki Nagar, Ramnagar, Narkatiaganj, Bagaha, Lauriya, Nautan, Chanpatiya, Bettiah, and Sikta. The control room has been specifically designed to manage the electoral process in all these segments simultaneously. Each constituency has been assigned separate communication channels to ensure that information related to polling activities, voter turnout, incidents, or complaints can be tracked and addressed without delay. The administrative setup reflects the scale and complexity of conducting elections across multiple constituencies at once. District Election Officer Dharmendra Kumar has emphasized that the central control room will serve as the nerve center for all election-day operations, ensuring seamless coordination across all nine constituencies throughout the voting process.
Round-the-Clock Monitoring and Coordination
The control room's main purpose is to provide continuous monitoring and coordination of all election activities. It will track critical operations including the deployment of polling personnel, arrangements for police forces, distribution of electronic voting machines and voter-verified paper audit trails, conducting mock polls, assessing law and order situations, and ensuring the safe return of polling teams after voting concludes. This comprehensive oversight extends to every stage of the electoral process, from pre-polling preparations through post-polling procedures. The shift-based operation ensures that trained officers are always available to respond to any situation that may arise. The district administration has made it clear that on polling day, every complaint, piece of information, and coordination requirement will be handled exclusively through the central control room, enabling unified decision-making and consistent response protocols.
Multi-Level Control Room Network
Beyond the district-level central control room, instructions have been issued to establish similar control facilities at every returning officer level and at every block level throughout West Champaran. This multi-tiered approach creates a robust communication network that strengthens the entire election management system. The block-level and returning officer-level control rooms will feed information upward to the central facility while also being empowered to take immediate action on local issues. This decentralized yet coordinated structure ensures that problems can be addressed at the appropriate level without delay. The district administration emphasized that this network is designed to handle any emergency situation swiftly and to maintain the integrity of the voting process. The goal is to conduct the elections in a peaceful, fair, and systematic environment, with every stakeholder able to report concerns and receive timely responses through this organized control room infrastructure.
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