Patna, Nov 8 (IANS) The RJD on Saturday lodged a complaint before the Election Commission of India (ECI) alleging suspicious activities at a strong room in Hajipur, Vaishali district.

The party also posted CCTV footage clips on its official X handle, claiming that cameras of different Assembly constituencies were being switched off one by one and that a pickup van was seen entering and leaving the premises late in the night.

In a strongly-worded post, the RJD alleged that the country’s biggest vote thief has been camping in Bihar for several days under the pretext of campaigning, and accused the media of helping divert attention from alleged vote rigging.

“This time, Bihar will teach these two outsiders a lesson. They want to destroy democracy in Bihar, the mother of the republic — Biharis will not let this happen under any circumstances,” the RJD said on X.

Responding immediately to the complaint, the ECI said a preliminary inquiry had been conducted.

In its official statement, the Commission said that CCTV feeds from the strong room were being displayed at two points — the main control room and a separate viewing point meant for party representatives.

According to the ECI, the CCTV at the control room “continued to run constantly”.

However, it said that the display screen at the viewing area for one of the five Assembly segments — 129 Mahanar — had turned off for some time due to auto timeout, and had been restarted quickly. The other displays were uninterrupted, the Commission clarified, adding that the main control room feed for Mahanar was not affected at all.

Regarding the pickup van, the ECI said the vehicle belonged to security personnel posted at the strong room, who had brought bedding and supplies to the college campus late in the night.

“The vehicle left within 15 minutes and its entry was recorded in the guard register,” the Commission said.

The Commission further said that the strong room functions under a three-tier security system. It also quoted Kundan Kumar — the RJD representative from Lalganj who circulated the video — as confirming the factual position during verification.

“The baseless and misleading post is being refuted,” the ECI said.

–IANS

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