An assistant returning officer was suspended on Saturday and a case registered against him after a large number of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips were found on the roadside in Bihar’s Samastipur district. The Election Commission swung into action after a purported video of it went viral on social media.
The Chief Electoral Officer’s office said the district magistrate has been directed to visit the spot and inquire into the matter. “As these are VVPAT slips of a mock poll, the integrity of the polling process remains uncompromised. The contesting candidates have also been informed by the DM. However, the ARO is being suspended for negligence and an FIR is being registered against him,” it said.
Leaders of the Opposition INDIA bloc expressed serious concern over the incident. The Congress demanded a formal explanation from the EC, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) questioned “on whose orders” the slips were thrown. The first phase of the polls in 121 seats took place on November 6.
121
Number of seats in the first phase of the polls on November 6
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