Samastipur: Just two days after the first phase of assembly elections on November 6, a shocking discovery of hundreds of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips scattered among roadside garbage in Bihar’s Samastipur district sparked a fierce political uproar.
The incident in Sarairanjan constituency, near KSR College in Sheetalpatti village, has prompted swift action: an Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) suspended, an FIR ordered, and a high-level probe launched by District Magistrate Roshan Kushwaha.
Viral videos and photos on social media captured the slips — bearing election symbols — scattered haphazardly, fuelling suspicions of electoral tampering. RJD candidate Arvind Sahni arrived with supporters, demanding accountability and triggering a brief standoff. The party lambasted the Election Commission on X, questioning, “When, how, why, and on whose orders were these slips discarded? Will the ‘Thieves’ Commission’ respond, or is this the handiwork of democracy’s dacoits camping in Bihar?”
DM Kushwaha, who rushed to the site with officials and candidates, clarified that preliminary enquiries point to mock poll slips from a 5% EVM testing exercise conducted pre-voting. “We secured the slips in the presence of observers; this is a technical lapse, not a compromise on poll integrity,” he asserted, recommending departmental action against two negligent staffers and urging restraint from rumourmongering.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar echoed this, stating the Samastipur DM was directed for on-the-spot verification. “These are mock poll VVPAT slips; the voting process remains untainted. Candidates have been briefed, the ARO suspended for negligence, and FIR proceedings are underway.”
With Phase 2 polling on November 11 and counting on November 14, the episode underscores procedural vulnerabilities in Bihar’s high-stakes electoral battle.
As Opposition voices amplify calls for transparency, authorities vow a thorough investigation to restore faith in the democratic machinery.