Many voters were befuddled to find their left ring finger being daubed with indelible ink instead of the index finger during the MCD polls in the national capital on Sunday.
Decision to ink the left ring finger was taken by the State Election Commission to avoid confusion as voters of Rajouri Garden Assembly seat had cast their votes on April 9 during the by-election. This decision was aimed at enabling the voters of Rajouri Garden and those who had exercised their franchise in the recently held Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) polls.
The change was effected by a notification issued by the Government, stating that a voter’s left ring finger and not the forefinger was to be inked.
Singer Shubha Mudgal was among those who expressed surprise at the move. “Don't remember this finger being inked earlier but that’s how it was done today in MCD Election 2017,” she tweeted on Sunday.
Shadiq (29), an accountant who voted in the Chandni Chowk ward under the eponymous Assembly constituency on Sunday, said he asked the staff if the rules had been changed.
The Commission had earlier issued directions to returning officers of Ward 5S to Ward 8S falling in the Rajouri Garden Assembly Constituency to ink voters’ left middle fingers.