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EC Suspends Samastipur ARO Over Dumped VVPAT Mock Slips, Says Poll Integrity Intact

Officials say the dumped material came from pre‑vote tests, not from actual ballots.

Overview

  • Large numbers of VVPAT paper slips were found near KSR/SR College in Sarairanjan, Samastipur, and the district administration seized both shredded and some unshredded slips.
  • The Election Commission said the slips were generated during mandatory mock polls before Phase 1 voting, ordered an on‑site inquiry, informed candidates, and asserted that voting remained uncompromised.
  • The Assistant Returning Officer for the segment was suspended for negligence and an FIR was registered, with the district magistrate also recommending departmental action against additional staff.
  • An ECI technical team conducted a fresh VVPAT–EVM reconciliation at the concerned booth and reported a 100% match in the presence of party agents, according to officials.
  • Preliminary reviews cited by officials point to improper disposal practices, including CCTV showing a sanitation worker scattering slips, and the EC announced tighter controls such as biometric verification of disposal and GPS‑tagging of waste bins ahead of the next polling phase on November 11.