The Election Commission's indelible ink for the 2019 Lok Sabha election is not that indelible after all! The ink is applied on the finger of the voter immediately after casting the vote and is supposed to stay for at least 72 hours. It is supposed to let the polling officers know that the person has voted and can't cast another one.
However, Twitter is abuzz with users showing how the ink can be removed with a nail polish remover. This discovery could cause many complications and could also render the elections invalid since removing the ink can allow the person to cast their vote twice.
The Election Commission has responded saying that there is no merit in the complaints. While many thought that it is exclusive to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the case was the same for the 2014 elections as well.
The Times of India reported in 2014 that the indelible ink washes off with acetone. The ink is provided to the Election Commission by the Mysore Paints and Varnish Company Ltd.
The experiment was reportedly done by Mumbai-based journalist and Right to Information activist Rajan Alimchandani who managed to remove it after at least an hour of scrubbing.
While some people showed evidence of the removal of the "semi-permanent" ink with nail polish, some users also said that a simple shower could do the trick.
A Twitter user from Telangana said that he will remove the ink after voting, and if he is successful, he will vote again for the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).
Here are is a reaction to the ink washing off:
How indelible is the indelible ink ? @IndiaAheadNews @shru_mathur finds out. Didn't the @SpokespersonECI have any INK-ling about this ? pic.twitter.com/8k2Muo8rFU
— Sanket संकेत (@sanket) April 11, 2019
