Uddhav Thackeray Alleges 'Ink Fraud' In Mumbai Civic Polls; Election Commission Rejects Claims

9 minutes ago

On this Special Report, the focus is on the high-stakes Mumbai civic polls where Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have alleged large-scale voter fraud. The Thackeray brothers claim that the indelible ink used during voting is being deliberately wiped off to enable malpractice, a phenomenon they have termed 'ink fraud'. Uddhav Thackeray cited a video clip allegedly showing the ink being erased from a voter's finger. However, the State Election Commission has firmly rejected these claims. Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare stated that a 'fake narrative' is being built, clarifying that the silver nitrate ink used is the same as in parliamentary elections and has been in use via marker pens since 2010. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also dismissed the allegations, with Fadnavis demonstrating on camera that the ink could not be removed. The Commission stressed that digital registration makes double voting impossible and warned of strict legal action against anyone attempting to erase the ink to vote again.

Transcript

00:00Uddhav and Raj Thakre have launched a big charge amid Mumbai's high-stakes civic polls,

00:23alleging large-scale voter fraud.

00:25The Thakre brothers claim that the indelible ink used during voting is being deliberately wiped off to create confusion and enable malpractice.

00:34They call it ink fraud.

00:36Uddhav Thakre even cited a clip allegedly showing indelible ink being erased from a voter's finger,

00:42raising questions over the integrity of the polling process.

00:46However, the State Election Commission has firmly rejected the elections.

00:50The poll body clarified that attempting to erase the indelible ink is a malpractice

00:56and strict legal action will be taken against anyone trying to vote again after doing so.

01:02The Commission also stressed that erasing ink does not allow repeat of voting.

01:08Once a voter casts their ballot, their record is digitally registered, making double voting impossible.

01:14Officials added that clear instructions are already in place for applying the ink using a marker pen

01:20on both the fingernail and the skin above it.

01:23Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also showed on live camera that he tried to remove the ink,

01:29but he wasn't able to, questioning the opposition's intention.

01:33Now, Deputy Chief Minister Eknachande also rejected these allegations,

01:37saying there is no evidence of manipulation and that the election process is being conducted fairly.

01:44I was asked to say,

02:14foreign

02:44I am going to get a pain.

02:45I am going to get a pain.

02:46What can you do to get out of the way?

02:48You can get out of the way and get out of the way.

02:51I have put a marker to my local.

02:55Let me see it.

02:57I am going to get down.

02:59I am going to get down.

03:01It is possible that someone has objection to this.

03:05The election commission should have seen it.

03:07If you want to use it, then you should have done it.

03:09I am going to do it.

03:11I should have done it.

03:13If you want to get out of the way,

03:15you should have done it.

03:16Therefore, the polling agents are in every party.

03:18Every party is in polling agents.

03:20If you know that it is a bogus,

03:23one person has an ID,

03:26one person can ask him to get his information,

03:29one person can ask him to get his information.

03:31This is a bogus.

03:32The other person asks him to ask him to get out of the way.

03:34So, it is not going to do bogus voting.

03:38It is not going to happen.

03:40And joining us on this issue is India Today's Vidya.

03:50Vidya, while the politics may play out on this issue,

03:52what is more important to understand is what the State Election Commission says about it.

03:57About the ink, about the act of erasing it,

04:01and about the possibility of someone trying to vote again.

04:05And the issue is not just voting again on your own name.

04:08This can lead to voting on fake names.

04:11Well, the State Election Commission,

04:18you know, the commissioner Dinesh Vaghmare,

04:21he just spoke about this entire issue and said that,

04:24you know, there seems to be a fake narrative that is being built up,

04:27because there is nothing different from what the ink that is used in a, say,

04:31parliamentary election or assembly election,

04:33is the same silver nitrate that is used then and even now.

04:36And it's not the first time that marker pens are being used,

04:40because marker pens with that particular ink have been in use since 2010.

04:44However, what he said was that in case, you know,

04:47they see someone who has erased the ink and has tried to again vote,

04:52that will certainly not be taken down lightly.

04:55And the case would be registered against the person, one.

04:59And secondly, they said that also the fact remains that there is a fake narrative

05:04that is being built up suddenly for this particular election.

05:07And that is not right.

05:08In case they see that this is being done deliberately,

05:11then it would be, you know, taken, they would take cognizance of it

05:15and make sure that, you know, such cases are dealt with iron hand.

05:20But at this point, he very clearly, the Commissioner Bagmare said that, you know,

05:26it takes a few seconds for someone to, you know, for the ink to dry.

05:31So, if someone tries to erase it well before, while inside the, you know, the voting centre,

05:37while it has just been put and...

05:39That was Vidya, who was joining us from Mumbai and telling us what the stand of the ECU on this entire issue is.

05:48But the question remains, as we see the Chief Minister there on their screens,

05:52trying to show that how his ink is not getting wiped off.

05:56The question remains that there are videos that are viral on the social media,

06:00which the Thakres are raising, where people are showing the ink getting wiped off.

06:05So, the cognizance of this matter has been taken by the State Election Commission

06:09and it needs to be investigated whether it is possible to wipe that ink off or not

06:15and whether any sort of malpractice has happened or not.

Uddhav Thackeray Alleges 'Ink Fraud' In Mumbai Civic Polls; Election Commission Rejects Claims

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