VVPAT slips found in Samastipur

Patna: Following EC directions, the district electoral officer and Samastipur district magistrate, Roshan Kushwaha, on Saturday suspended two assistant returning officers with immediate effect after VVPAT slips from EVMs were found scattered on a road near K S R College in the Sarairanjan assembly constituency.The EC confirmed that the recovered slips were from mock polls conducted earlier in the day. An inquiry has been launched to ascertain how the slips ended up on the road. The commission said that the matter was being investigated in full and that strict action would be taken if procedural lapses were found.The RJD, however, accused the ruling alliance of foul play. The party alleged that the discovery was a sign of vote tampering and questioned the EC’s ability to ensure free and fair elections. It demanded a comprehensive probe and strict punishment for those responsible.After news of the incident spread, RJD candidate Arvind Sahni from the Sarairanjan assembly seat rushed to the location, alleging that “attempts to steal votes have already begun from the NDA’s side”. He urged district magistrate Roshan Kushwaha and SSP Arvind Pratap Singh, who were present at the site, to conduct an impartial investigation.Soon after, hundreds of supporters gathered at the spot along with Sahni, leading to chaos in the area.The RJD also shared a video on its official X handle showing the VVPAT slips strewn across the road. The post read, “A large number of VVPAT slips from EVMs were found thrown on the road near KSR College in the Sarairanjan assembly constituency of Samastipur. When, how, why, and on whose instructions were these slips thrown? Will the thief commission answer this? Is all this happening on the instructions of the democracy dacoits who have come from outside and camped in Bihar?”Samastipur SSP Arvind Pratap Singh confirmed that slips had indeed been found near a dispatch centre. “During mock polls, slips are taken out to check whether the machine is functioning properly. The slips generated at that time should be destroyed, but most of the slips recovered are intact,” he said.