Maha civic polls: Indelible ink erased? State election panel clarifies, warns voters

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) connected Thursday clarified that immoderate effort to erase the indelible ink applied connected a voter’s digit and creating disorder during polling amounts to an electoral malpractice.The clarification came amid allegations of irregularities successful the ongoing section assemblage elections crossed 29 municipal corporations successful the state.

Earlier successful the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) main Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray alleged malpractice successful the civic polls, claiming that the indelible ink applied to voters’ fingers could beryllium easy removed utilizing nail polish remover oregon sanitiser, allowing immoderate radical to ballot much than once.

He alleged that this indicated “collusion” betwixt the ruling Mahayuti confederation and the State Election Commission.

SEC responds

Responding to the allegations, the SEC said successful an authoritative connection that erasing ink from a voter’s digit and attempting to ballot again falls nether the purview of electoral malpractice.“If it is recovered that a idiosyncratic has erased the ink from their digit and attempted to ballot again, due ineligible enactment volition beryllium taken against them,” the committee said.

The SEC emphasised that removing the indelible ink does not alteration a elector to formed a 2nd vote, arsenic elaborate records of voting are maintained.“Even if idiosyncratic attempts to perpetrate malpractice by erasing the ink, the acrophobic elector cannot ballot again. Necessary safeguards are already successful place. Once a elector has formed their vote, it is recorded. Therefore, simply erasing the ink does not let a elector to ballot again,” the connection said.The committee added that caller instructions person been issued to each acrophobic authorities to stay vigilant.According to the SEC, orders issued connected November 19 and November 28, 2011 mandate the usage of marker pens for applying indelible ink successful section self-government elections. Since then, marker pens person been utilized to people voters’ fingers during civic polls.“As per these orders, the ink should beryllium applied with a marker pen truthful that it is intelligibly disposable connected the voter’s finger.

The ink indispensable beryllium rubbed 3 to 4 times connected the nail and the tegument supra the nail. These instructions are printed connected the marker pens and person been reiterated earlier,” the connection said.In a aboriginal statement, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said an enquiry has been ordered into complaints and clarified that claims astir acetone oregon nail polish being capable to region the indelible ink are false.“The indelible ink utilized successful the markers applied to voters’ fingers has been successful usage since 2011.

The markers are manufactured by the aforesaid institution and usage the aforesaid ink composition. The ink takes 10 to 12 seconds to adust aft application, and erstwhile it dries, it cannot beryllium wiped off. Circulating videos connected societal media regarding the ink to make disorder among voters is unacceptable and whitethorn invitation ineligible action,” Waghmare told reporters.The SEC besides appealed to voters not to effort specified malpractices.Social media was flooded with videos of communal voters, politicians and mediapersons utilizing Acetone to hitch disconnected the 'indelible' ink applied with marker pens connected their fingers aft voting.''The viral videos of the marker ink being wiped disconnected are being investigated and lawsuit volition beryllium filed against those trying to dispersed a fake narrative,'' said Waghmare.Polling for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and 28 different municipal corporations began astatine 7.30am connected Thursday and volition proceed till 5.30pm. Counting of votes is scheduled for Friday, January 16.(With bureau inputs)