New Delhi: Since 1962, every election conducted by the Election Commission has featured the indelible ink. Applied on the left forefinger of every voter, its purpose is to prevent fake voting. However, during the first two phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, complaints of this supposedly ‘indelible’ ink coming off with the mere use of nail polish remover have been reported.

This has put a big question mark on the ability of the poll panel to ensure that nobody is able to cast a vote multiple times.

When the general elections began on April 11, there was a flood of complaints about the ink coming off.

One such complainant was from the founder and CEO of The Quint, Ritu Kapur, who tweeted that her ink mark disappeared by simply applying nail polish remover.

I voted. I got inked. I did not believe the people who said that indelible ink is washing off. So I tried nail polish remover – and magic – the mark is gone @SpokespersonECI. What’s ECI’s response? pic.twitter.com/S12TKw8M07 — Ritu Kapur (@kapur_ritu) April 11, 2019

The website also did a story on the subject. It said that while EC officials admitted to having received a complaint, they found no merit in it.

Deputy election commissioner Chandra Bhushan said that the polling officer reported that the phial of ink used in the particular booth was procured from Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, a Karnataka government undertaking. In keeping with the procedure, it was also certified by a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research lab.

Also Read: Elections 2019: 66% Voter Turnout Recorded During Second Phase

The officer also stated that all the phials are tested by CSIR and National Physical Laboratory. He, however, stated that a possible reason for the ink coming off could have been the application of oil or cream on the hands by the voter.

Incidentally, Mysore Paints has been the sole supplier of this ink for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections since 1962. They were handed over the contract as part of a joint initiative and agreement reached by the EC, law ministry, National Physical Laboratory and National Research Development Corporation.

The ink is photo-sensitive in nature and is stored in amber coloured plastic or brown coloured glass bottles. It is supposed to last anywhere between two days and a month depending on the person on whom it is used and the environment.

Although in the past too, almost every election has seen reports of the indelible ink being erased through the use of some chemical, soap or even by rubbing matchstick heads on it, the similarity in the complaints this time is alarming.

In the second phase too, many have complained about the ink getting erased easily with the use of a nail polish remover.

One such complainant was Bangalore-based architect, Parikshit Dal. He even lodged a complaint with the assistant returning officer of the Bangalore North Constituency. Dalal stated that after casting his vote, he washed his hands with soap and tried the nail polish remover to check if the voting ink mark was still intact. To his surprise, he said, he was “shocked to see that the mark completely disappeared.”

Dalal’s complaint of April 18 also noted that in the last election, the ink mark remained intact for over two weeks.

Though the issue is being widely debated on social media with some even claiming that the ink does not come off with the use of chemicals or nail polish remover, it is the exceptions which should bother the authorities.

Former chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi was recently quoted as saying that the issue should be examined and if there are complaints of anyone rubbing off the ink to vote more than once, then electoral rules may be used to lodge police cases.

Also Read: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Electronic Voting Machines and VVPATs

Incidentally, during demonetisation in 2016, when the Centre had asked banks to apply this indelible ink on the fingers of people coming to get their old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations, some concerns were raised about its vast application and the impact it would have on its secure use in future.

This year in March, the Election Commission placed an order worth Rs 33 crores for 26 lakh bottles with Mysore Paints. Such orders are usually placed before the polls as the shelf life of the ink is about six months.

To ensure that complaints about the ink do not end up sowing doubts regarding fairness in voting, many believe that the EC should investigate the issue further to identify the weaknesses and solutions.