No Requests for EVM Checks or Re-Polling in Bihar; EC Says ‘Vote Theft’ Claims Unproven

Patna: The opposition in Bihar has failed to substantiate its claims of vote theft and electoral malpractice, as the Election Commission (EC) confirms that no applications were received for EVM checking or re-polling.

According to the EC, none of the losing candidates from the recently concluded assembly elections in Bihar’s 243 constituencies submitted requests for verification of burnt memory or microcontrollers in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Opposition Parties Unable to Prove ‘Vote Theft’
Acting on Supreme Court directives, the EC had issued a revised standard operating procedure on June 17 for post-count verification of EVMs. Under this, only the candidates finishing second or third could request verification within seven days of result declaration. However, no such request was received from any losing candidate.

No Complaints Filed Across the State
The EC stated that even after special, rigorous scrutiny in all 38 districts of Bihar, no appeals were filed regarding wrongful inclusion or exclusion of any voter. Of the 2,616 candidates and recognized political parties, none sought re-polling. EC Assistant Director Apoorv Kumar Singh confirmed, “Mandatory VVPAT verification was conducted for five randomly selected polling stations in each assembly constituency (total 1,215 stations), and no discrepancies were found in EVM counting.”

Election Commission Highlights Achievements
Apoorv Singh added that the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections marked several firsts: Index cards for elections, including eight by-elections in other states, were made available within 72 hours of result declaration, and statistical reports were publicly released within five days. This enhanced transparency and ensured easy access to electoral data for scholars, researchers, and the general public.

All Allegations by Tejashwi Yadav Rejected
Opposition parties, particularly RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, had earlier accused the EC of favoring the ruling BJP and tampering with voter lists. Tejashwi had criticized the EC for not releasing gender-wise voter statistics immediately after the first phase of polling. The EC has dismissed all such allegations as unfounded.