TRUCK ENTERS THE SASARAM STRONG ROOM AT NIGHT, OPPOSTION ALLEGED EVM TAMPERING

TRUCK ENTERS THE SASARAM STRONG ROOM AT NIGHT, OPPOSTION ALLEGED EVM TAMPERING

14-NOV-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

SASARAM-------------------------Just before the counting of votes for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, panic gripped Sasaram late Wednesday night. A truck loaded with empty tin boxes entered the strong room premises at the Krishi Bazar Samiti, Takiya, at around 11:30 pm. The scene caused panic among the candidates and supporters present there, and a massive uproar soon ensued. Following the incident, Grand Alliance candidates and supporters launched a strong protest.

RJD, Congress, and other party workers alleged that the late-night truck intrusion was part of a "conspiracy to tamper with EVMs or steal votes."

Several candidates, including RJD's Rajesh Yadav (Dinara), Congress's Santosh Mishra (Karghar), Independent Jyoti Singh (Karakat), and RJD's Satendra Shah, arrived at the scene and began raising slogans.

They alleged that the CCTV cameras were off and the truck was allowed into the strong room without prior notice, raising questions about transparency.

Upon receiving the information, District Magistrate Udita Singh and Superintendent of Police Roshan Kumar arrived at the scene at night and brought the situation under control.

Investigation revealed that the truck belonged to the Agriculture Department, carrying only empty tin boxes and had no connection to the election process.

Officials also clarified that the strong room is completely secure, there was no tampering with the EVMs, and no lathi-charge incident occurred.

The District Magistrate appealed, "Please ignore any rumors. The counting of votes will be conducted in a completely transparent and secure environment."

An explanation has been sought from the Returning Officer of the Chenari Assembly constituency.

Given the seriousness of the incident, an investigation into the CCTV footage has been initiated.

The administration has stated that if any irregularities are found, legal action will be taken.

Congress candidate Santosh Mishra has submitted a written complaint to the Election Observer in this regard.

Meanwhile, supporters from all seven assembly constituencies remained outside the counting center throughout the night, demanding a fair investigation.

Video clips and live streaming of the incident quickly went viral on social media.The videos show scenes of protests, sloganeering, and chaos by candidates and supporters.

However, the administration has reiterated that "the situation is completely under control and counting will begin as scheduled at 8 a.m. on Thursday." The incident in Sasaram has once again sparked debate about the transparency of the electoral process. While the administration is calling it a "simple mistake," the opposition is raising strong questions about EVM security. All eyes are now on counting day—when it will be proven whether this commotion was a rumor or a harbinger of truth.