Mysuru:  Several voters in Chamaraja Assembly constituency have complained that the indelible ink applied to their left forefinger erased after they came home and washed their hands with soap. Similar incidents were reported in Chamundeshwari constituency and some voters brought this to the notice of the Returning Officer.

Speaking to Star of Mysore on condition of anonymity, a voter who exercised his franchise at Mahadeshwara School polling booth at Kumbarakoppal in Chamaraja, said that he came home and washed his hands with soap. “I was surprised to see that the ink that was applied on my left forefinger vanished. Actually, the ink was applied on the skin and there was some spill over,” he said.  

When SOM brought the issue to the notice of Additional Deputy Commissioner T. Yogesh, he dismissed the reports. “Certain voters in Chamundeshwari too complained to the Returning Officer that the ink got erased when washed with soap. There were no cases of dilution of ink and the same ink has been used across all constituencies,” he said.

According to officials from city-based Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited (MPVL), the sole Public Sector Unit that has been authorised to manufacture the ink, the ink just cannot be “erased.” If voters try to remove the ink through any chemical concoction they might end up burning their fingers they said.

Once applied, the ink mark remains on the finger for a few months, thus preventing the voter from casting his vote again. And this is because no chemical, detergent or oil can remove the ink from the finger, MPVL officials said.

The ink contains silver nitrate, which stains the nail on exposure to ultraviolet light, leaving a mark that is impossible to wash off and fades as new nail growth occurs.