State Election Commissioner Dinesh T Waghmare has addressed the issue of alleged ink tampering amid voting in Maharashtra Municipal Corporation polls. Reacting over the row, Waghmare said the ink being used to mark the fingers of voters is indelible and it is also being used by the Election Commission of India in various elections.
"This has come to our notice that there is some confusion being created about the ink (applied after the vote is cast), which is being put on the voters' fingers. I want to say that the ink being used to mark the fingers of voters is indelible ink and it is the same ink which is used by the Election Commission of India in various elections. The only difference which is seen here is that it is being used in the form of a marker. But I also want to say that this marker form of indelible ink has been in use since 2011. So, people who are raising suspicion or creating confusion over this indelible ink don’t mean anything. This ink gets dried up within 12-15 seconds of being applied.,” Waghmare said.
The State Election Commissioner said the poll body has also adopted other measures to ensure that no person is allowed to cast a vote without proper verification.
“There are other checks and balances to ensure that the representatives of the candidates identify each and every voter, and only then they are allowed to proceed for voting and the Presiding Officer also ensures that no one comes without proper verification or authorisation for casting his or her vote," he added.
EC threatens legal action in case of re-voting
Earlier, the state poll body issued a statement and categorically conveyed that attempts to erase the ink applied on a voter’s finger after casting a vote, with the intention of creating confusion among voters, is a punishable offence. If any person is found trying to vote again after removing the ink from their finger, appropriate legal action will be taken against them, the State Election Commission has clarified.
The State Election Commission said after a voter casts their vote, an official entry is recorded. Therefore, merely removing the ink does not make re-voting possible.
All concerned officials have once again been instructed to remain vigilant in this matter.
