ECI rejects TMC's VVPAT slip claim in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday, 3 May rejected allegations by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) that VVPAT paper slips used during polling in the Noyapara Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, on 29 April were found abandoned near a petrol pump in Madhyamgram. The denial came from the District Magistrate (DM) and District Electoral Officer (DEO) of North 24 Parganas, who clarified that the slips in question were from a mandatory mock poll — not from actual voting.

What TMC Alleged

Earlier on Sunday, the Trinamool Congress filed a formal complaint with the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, alleging that VVPAT slips from the Noyapara constituency had been found discarded near a petrol pump in Madhyamgram. The party attached a video as evidence to support its claim, raising concerns about the integrity of the polling process in the district.

Official Denial and Clarification

By Sunday evening, the DM/DEO of North 24 Parganas issued an official denial, stating that the VVPAT slips visible in the video were not associated with the actual polling exercise. According to the official statement, the slips were from the mock poll conducted before polling commenced on 29 April — a standard, mandatory procedure in which polling agents of all political parties are shown that pressing a button on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in favour of a candidate records the vote correctly.