NEW DELHI, Oct. 7 -- 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. 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 routinely 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 terms of Bihar's security". The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has earmarked over 500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the polls, including 121 companies of the CRPF and nearly 400 companies of the BSF, ITBP, and SSB, who will assist local police. Nearly 100 companies have already reached the state, and the MHA will monitor the situation, ready to send additional units if needed, said a senior MHA official. Importantly, central Bihar - considered relatively calm - will go to polls in the first phase, followed by the more sensitive Seemanchal and border districts in the second. This sequencing allows for better rotation and utilisation of forces, ensuring full coverage with fewer phases. Festival timing played a role, too. Political parties across the spectrum urged the Commission to hold polling after Diwali and Chhath, ensuring migrant voters can return home to cast their ballots. A longer, multi-phase schedule would have either clashed with those festivals or pushed counting well into late November, party officials who attended the meeting said....