Bihar Elections: Integrity Upheld Amidst Shredded VVPAT Controversy

The Indian government reported no irregularities during the Bihar assembly elections, with no re-poll requests made. Some shredded VVPAT slips were discovered in Samastipur, linked to a mock poll. The Election Commission suspended three officers responsible for the oversight.

The Indian government affirmed the integrity of the recent Bihar assembly elections, as stated in Lok Sabha on Friday using the Election Commission's findings. According to Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, no requests for re-polls were submitted by any candidates or their agents.

Verification of voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPAT) slips was performed for five polling stations per assembly constituency, with no discrepancies noted against electronic voting machine (EVM) counts. Additionally, no requests for EVM checks were lodged by any losing candidates following the results announced on November 14.

However, the Election Commission highlighted an incident in Samastipur where some shredded and unshredded VVPAT slips related to the Sarairanjan seat were found discarded. These related to a mock poll conducted during EVM commissioning, leading to the suspension of three assistant returning officers from the Sarairanjan constituency and the initiation of disciplinary proceedings. The government confirmed that no similar incidents were reported in the Saran district.