Election Commission Orders Withdrawal of Officers Amidst VVPAT Machine Disappearance

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the withdrawal of election officers in Mangaldai and Udalguri districts, alongside the transfer of the Returning Officer (RO) of the No. 4 Darrang – Udalguri HPC. This decision follows the alleged disappearance of a Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine in Udalguri district. In response, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Assam reassigned officers and appointed new in-charge Election Officers for the affected areas. Notably, both withdrawn Election Officers, Kulbhushan Pegu and Debashish Borthakur, held the position of Assistant Commissioners. Additionally, the ECI issued transfer orders for Sadnek Singh, the District Magistrate of Udalguri and the RO of the Darrang – Udalguri HPC, as part of its routine review for the Lok Sabha elections.