Patna: The Election Commission of India has taken a major step in preparing for the Bihar Assembly elections by completing the first randomization of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) in 18 districts scheduled for the first phase of polling. The process was carried out under strict supervision to ensure fairness and transparency, with representatives from national and state-recognized political parties present throughout.
In Patna district alone, the randomization was conducted for 5,677 polling stations. Each station will have one Ballot Unit (BU), one Control Unit (CU), and one VVPAT. To meet Election Commission guidelines, 20 percent of BUs and CUs and 30 percent of VVPATs will be kept in reserve, resulting in a total of 6,808 BUs, 6,808 CUs, and 7,374 VVPATs for Patna. Officials confirmed that the district currently has 12,886 BUs, 7,439 CUs, and 8,025 VVPATs verified through First-Level Checking (FLC) and ready for deployment.
The randomization was conducted using EMS software, which is designed to allocate machines fairly and randomly. After the process, a detailed list of EVMs and VVPATs, signed by the District Magistrate and party representatives, was shared with district-level party offices. These machines will then be provided to the returning officers of each assembly constituency and stored securely in strong rooms, with party representatives present during storage. Once the list of contesting candidates is finalised, the machines will be officially allotted for use in polling.
The first phase of the Bihar elections will cover 121 assembly constituencies across 18 districts, including Madhepura, Saharsa, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, Khagaria, Munger, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur, and Buxar. The second phase, covering 122 assembly constituencies in 20 districts including Gaya, Bhagalpur, Araria, and Katihar, will have its randomization process completed on October 13. Election officials have emphasised that these measures are being taken to ensure a smooth, transparent, and fair election process across the state.
