Bihar Election Row: VVPAT Slips Found Dumped in Samastipur, Two Officials Suspended

A controversy broke out in Bihar after piles of VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) slips were found dumped near a college in Samastipur, days after the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections held on November 6. The Election Commission has suspended two officials for negligence, while Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar clarified that the recovered slips were from mock polls conducted before actual voting to check the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Videos circulating on social media showed the VVPAT slips scattered on a road near KSR College in the Sarairanjan Assembly constituency, triggering outrage among opposition parties.

Samastipur District Magistrate (DM) Roshan Kushwaha visited the site after receiving reports and seized the slips in the presence of candidates. Speaking to ANI, he said, "Under the Sarairanjan Assembly constituency, we found some slips near the dispatch centre. I, along with other officials, reached the spot and in the presence of candidates, took possession of those slips. An FIR is being lodged in this matter, and a departmental inquiry has been recommended along with the suspension of two officials for negligence."

CEC Gyanesh Kumar said the DM has been instructed to conduct an on-the-spot investigation and assured that the integrity of the actual voting process remains intact. "The DM Samastipur was directed to visit the spot and inquire. As these are VVPAT slips of Mock Poll, integrity of the polling process remains uncompromised. Contesting candidates have also been informed," he stated.

The VVPAT system serves as an independent verification mechanism, allowing voters to confirm that their votes have been correctly recorded.

Meanwhile, opposition parties including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress have questioned the Election Commission's handling of the incident. In a post on X, the RJD wrote, "A large number of VVPAT slips ejected from EVMs were found scattered on the road near KSR College in the Sarairanjan Assembly constituency of Samastipur. When, how, why, and on whose orders were these slips thrown away? Will the Thieves' Commission answer this? Is all this happening on the instructions of the democracy's dacoits who have set up camp in Bihar after coming from outside?"

The Bihar Assembly elections are being held in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. Polling in Sarairanjan took place during the first phase.

With inputs from ANI.