Controversy broke out after Samastipur MP Shambhavi Choudhary found ink on the fingers of both her hands. The opposition called it an attempt at ‘double voting’. At the same time, the district administration called it a human error and said that he had voted only once.
Amidst the ongoing election extravaganza in Bihar, Shambhavi Choudhary, the current MP from Samastipur and a member of a prestigious political family, has come at the center of a controversy which has raised serious questions on the voting process and its credibility. The matter is that marks of election ink (Indelible Ink) were found on the index fingers of both his hands, which the opposition parties are calling an attempt at ‘double voting’ and a gross violation of the electoral code of conduct.
How did the controversy start?
This entire incident came to light when MP Shambhavi Chaudhary had reached polling booth number 61 to cast her vote in Bankipur assembly constituency of Patna. Video footage and photographs released after the vote clearly showed that apart from the index finger of his left hand, the index finger of his right hand was also marked with ink. Under Rule 49K of the Electoral Rules 1961, the ink is always applied on the index finger of the voter’s left hand to ensure that no person is able to vote twice. The controversy over the appearance of marks on two different fingers immediately became a topic of discussion in political circles.
District Magistrate’s explanation: human error
As the dispute escalated, the local administration came into action. Patna District Magistrate and District Election Officer immediately sought official clarification from the Presiding Officer in this matter. After its investigation, the District Magistrate’s Office issued a press release.
Administrative investigation revealed that this was not a case of any rigging but of ‘human error’. A new or ignorant polling employee posted at the polling booth accidentally applied ink on the index finger of MP Chaudhary’s right hand. When this mistake was recognised, the presiding officer intervened and following the rule, the index finger of the left hand was also correctly inked. The District Magistrate firmly stated that a thorough scrutiny of Form 17-A (Voter Register) confirms that the MP has registered his vote only once on electoral roll number 275.
Sharp political attack by opposition parties
The administrative cleanup was roundly rejected by the parties of the opposition alliance ‘India’, especially the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Opposition parties allege that this was not a mistake, but a deliberate attempt to manipulate the electoral process, under the guise of which a major scam could have taken place.
RJD spokesperson termed the incident as an ‘unprecedented fraud in the history of democracy’ and claimed that people of the ruling alliance can go to any level to win the elections. He also questioned the alleged eye gestures of the MP’s father and senior JD(U) leader Ashok Chaudhary, who was present near the polling booth, in the video released, and alleged that it was all part of a planned attempt.
The Congress party called it a ‘mockery of rules’ and an act of ‘demolishing democracy’. He argues that if it was just a mistake, then how could such a huge mistake be made by staff trained for the electoral process, which directly affects the sanctity of voting.