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
यह तो एक अलग ही स्तर का फ़्रॉड चल रहा है।
ये हैं LJP सांसद शांभवी चौधरी चौधरी। दोनों हाथों पर स्याही लगी हुई है। मतलब इन्होंने 2 बार वोट किया। जब यह बात सामने आ गई तो इनके पिता अशोक चौधरी इन्हें आँखों के इशारे से संकेत कर रहे हैं।
चुनाव आयोग, यह सब कैसे हो रहा है?
इसकी जाँच कौन… pic.twitter.com/SWs0vg4sYw— Kanchana Yadav (@Kanchanyadav000) November 7, 2025
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.”
She is Shambhavi Chaudhary, daughter of JDU leader Ashok Chaudhary & MP from Chirag Paswan’s LJP
Yesterday, after voting in Bihar, she was posing for the camera & she had ink on both hands
Did she vote twice? Just look at her expressions after being exposed! 🧐 pic.twitter.com/hsuqLwdKoH
— Veena Jain (@Vtxt21) November 7, 2025
Many Defend MP, Cite Routine Polling Mix-Up
Despite the uproar, several users defended Shambhavi, explaining that double inking is a common polling-day error and doesn’t indicate double voting.
One user commented, “It happens when voters offer the wrong hand first, and polling officials reapply the ink on the correct one. It’s a normal correction, not malpractice.” Another added, “You can’t vote twice just because both fingers are inked. This happens often, especially when officials make small procedural mistakes.”
In India, polling officials typically apply indelible ink on the left index finger of each voter. If a voter mistakenly presents the right hand, the ink may be reapplied on the correct side, a correction that does not allow a second vote.
While the Election Commission has yet to comment officially, the incident highlights how quickly minor moments at polling booths can spiral into viral controversies in the digital age, especially when politics and perception collide.
