Election Commission Takes Swift Action After VVPAT Discovery
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a comprehensive investigation after numerous VVPAT slips were discovered discarded near SR College in Shitalpatti village, Samastipur district, Bihar. The incident prompted immediate action from election authorities following alerts from local residents who spotted the scattered election material.
Official Suspended Following CEC Directive
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar took direct cognizance of the matter and ordered Samastipur District Magistrate Roshan Kushwaha to personally visit the site and conduct a thorough inquiry. The Election Commission confirmed the suspension of the concerned Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) for negligence in handling election material. Additionally, authorities have initiated the process of registering an FIR against those responsible for the improper disposal.
District Magistrate Kushwaha clarified that the recovered VVPAT slips belonged exclusively to the mock poll process conducted before the first phase of voting on Thursday. "These were located at the commissioning and dispatch centre. During inspection, we observed that among a large quantity of shredded slips, a few unshredded slips were present," Kushwaha stated.
Mock Poll Process Explained
Officials provided details about the mock poll procedure that generated the discarded slips. During the commissioning process, mock polls are conducted on 5 percent of voting machines, with approximately 1,000 votes cast on each machine as part of standard testing protocols. Additionally, election authorities test each candidate's button to verify that correct symbols have been properly loaded into the systems.
The district administration has confiscated and seized all recovered slips while continuing their detailed inquiry to determine how the mock poll slips were improperly discarded and whether there were any procedural lapses in their disposal. The findings are expected to be submitted to the Election Commission shortly.
Despite the concerning discovery, election officials emphasized that the integrity of the actual polling process remains uncompromised since the slips originated from mock polls rather than genuine voting. All contesting candidates in the area have been informed about the incident and subsequent actions taken by election authorities.
The incident has drawn political reactions, with the RJD party posting critical comments on social media platform X, questioning the circumstances behind the disposal of the VVPAT slips and alleging misconduct by election authorities.
