Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh T Waghmare on Thursday rejected allegations of irregularities concerning the indelible ink used in the ongoing municipal corporation elections, saying there was no wrongdoing in the polling process. Responding to opposition leaders’ claims that the ink could be erased, Waghmare said attempts were being made to create confusion. “This has come to our notice that there is some confusion being created about the ink 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 used by the Election Commission of India in various elections,” he said.
Waghmare clarified that the only difference was the ink’s application in marker form, which has been in use since 2011. He added that the ink dries quickly and safeguards are in place to prevent tampering. “This ink gets dried up within 12 to 15 seconds of being applied, and during this period, any voter remains in the polling booth itself, and even if someone tries to erase it, there are other checks and balances,” he said.
The election commissioner also highlighted that candidate representatives verify each voter before allowing them to vote. “The representatives of the candidates identify each and every voter, and only then is he allowed to proceed for voting, and the presiding officer also ensures that no one is coming without proper verification or authorisation for casting his or her vote,” Waghmare said.
The clarification comes amid criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who alleged missing names in voter lists, use of old EVMs, and questioned the indelible ink.
Polling began Thursday across 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik and Pimpri-Chinchwad. According to the State Election Commission, voter turnout stood at 29.22 per cent by 1:30 pm. Counting is scheduled for January 16.