An FIR has been lodged after a large number of VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) mock slips were found scattered on the roadside in Bihar’s Samastipur district, triggering controversy ahead of the second phase of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025.
Samastipur District Magistrate Roshan Kushwaha said the slips were discovered near the dispatch centre and later seized in the presence of candidates. He confirmed that an assistant returning officer had been suspended for negligence, and a departmental inquiry had been initiated.
“The slips were from mock polls, so the integrity of the election process remains uncompromised,” the Election Commission said in a statement.
🔥 Political Reactions and Campaign Highlights
The incident sparked sharp exchanges among political leaders.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s “vote theft” allegations, accusing him of “misleading the youth.”
“Anyone trying to obstruct the Election Commission cannot be a supporter of democracy,” Tiwari said.
JD(U) leader Sanjay Kumar Jha described the Bihar polls as a “bipolar election,” suggesting Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj movement may not significantly impact this year’s contest.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah vowed to “root out infiltrators” from Bihar and warned voters against “bringing back jungle raj.” He claimed that the NDA would transform flood-prone rivers into irrigation lifelines for farmers if re-elected.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing rallies in Sitamarhi and Bettiah, praised record voter turnout and contrasted his government’s education initiatives with the RJD’s alleged culture of lawlessness.
“We are building engineering and medical colleges; RJD is teaching kids to become ‘rangdaars,’” he said.
🗣️ Opposition Strikes Back
Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi accused the BJP of diverting attention from unemployment and privatisation. Priyanka said the Congress continues to “fight the same battle that Mahatma Gandhi once fought.”
Mallikarjun Kharge hit back at the BJP’s “jungle raj” remarks, questioning why the ruling NDA had failed to “end it in 20 years.”
Prashant Kishor of Jan Suraaj claimed a “wave of change” is sweeping Bihar and criticised Amit Shah for saying the state lacked land for factories.
“There’s land for highways, but not for industries?” he asked.
🗳️ Election Timeline
The second phase of polling is scheduled for November 11, while vote counting will take place on November 14.
High voter turnout in the first phase has fueled optimism within the NDA, as both PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar continue to campaign vigorously across the state.
