A short video of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Chaudhary has set social media abuzz after she was seen displaying ink marks on both her hands following her vote in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections. What began as a routine post-voting photo opportunity quickly escalated into an online debate, with some accusing her of voting twice and others calling it a harmless mix-up at the polling booth.
The 27-year-old parliamentarian from Samastipur was filmed outside a polling station with her parents, JD(U) leader Ashok Chaudhary and Neeta Chaudhary, proudly showing their inked fingers. In the clip, Shambhavi first raises her right hand, revealing an inked finger, before briefly switching to her left hand, which also bears the mark. Within hours, the video had gone viral, igniting a flurry of reactions across X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
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Shambhavi Calls It A “Human Error”
As speculation grew online, Shambhavi Chaudhary addressed the controversy, clarifying that the double ink marks were the result of a polling official’s mistake.
“A polling officer mistakenly applied ink on my right hand, but the presiding officer corrected it and asked the staff to apply it on the left hand instead. That’s why both my fingers have ink marks,” she explained.
The MP also emphasised that such minor procedural errors are not uncommon during large-scale elections and urged people not to turn the issue into a political controversy.
Opposition Alleges Fraud As Debate Heats Up
The viral video soon caught the attention of opposition parties. RJD spokesperson Kanchana Yadav shared the clip on X, writing in Hindi:
“This is a whole new level of fraud. This is LJP MP Shambhavi Chaudhary. She has ink on both hands, meaning she voted twice. When this came to light, her father Ashok Chaudhary was seen signalling her with his eyes. Election Commission, how is this happening? Who will investigate this?”
The Congress party also joined the fray, posting Shambhavi’s pictures with a sarcastic caption hinting at alleged vote tampering.
Meanwhile, netizens flooded social media with mixed reactions, some mocking the MP, while others tagged the Election Commission, demanding accountability. “That expression says it all. Looks like someone accidentally revealed a little too much on camera,” wrote one user. Another sarcastically remarked, “Wow @ECISVEEP! Your transparency and efficiency are truly commendable.”
Patna Admin Clarifies
As the clip featuring MP Shambhavi Chaudhary’s inked fingers spread rapidly online, the Patna District Administration stepped in with an official clarification. According to their statement, the polling officer in charge had mistakenly marked ink on her right hand before realising the standard procedure required it to be applied on the left. The staff member then corrected the error by inking her left finger as well.
In its detailed release, the administration said, “A video is being circulated on social media regarding ink marks on both fingers of MP Shambhavi after casting her vote. In this connection, inquiries were made from the Presiding Officer of Polling Station No. 61, Sant Paul’s Primary School, Buddha Colony (Northern Room of the Main Section) of 182-Bankipur Assembly Constituency.”
The statement further added, “He has clarified that the polling staff responsible for applying ink had mistakenly applied it to the finger of the right hand. After the intervention of the Presiding Officer, ink was also applied to the finger of her left hand.”
Reaffirming that there was no irregularity, the district administration said, “It is being clarified that the Shambhavi cast her vote only at Serial No. 275 of the voter list of Polling Station No. 61, Sant Paul’s Primary School, Buddha Colony (Northern Room of the Main Section) of 182-Bankipur Assembly Constituency.”