As India prepares for Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, the Election Commission has issued a stark warning: any attempt to mark or scent EVM buttons to track voter choices will be prosecuted as an electoral offence, news agency PTI reported.
The Perfume-on-EVM Controversy Explained
An unusual but pointed advisory from the Election Commission of India has put political workers on notice ahead of Thursday's Assembly elections. Officials confirmed on Tuesday that applying fragrance, ink, glue or any other substance on the candidate buttons of Electronic Voting Machines — allegedly to determine whether votes have been cast in a particular candidate's favour — will be treated as tampering with electoral machinery, a criminal offence under Indian law.
The warning comes amid claims that some party workers have been using such methods to covertly track voting patterns at the booth level, raising serious concerns about the secrecy of the ballot.
What the Election Commission Said
EC officials were unequivocal in their language. "The EC will not hesitate to take criminal action and can order a re-poll," an EC functionary told PTI, signalling that the consequences could extend well beyond individual prosecution to invalidating results at affected polling stations entirely.
A second official reinforced the legal position: “All such cases are likely to fall under tampering/interfering with the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), which is an electoral offence.”
Presiding officers at all booths have been specifically instructed to inspect EVM candidate buttons before polling begins, ensuring none are obscured by tape, adhesive, or any foreign material.
"No colour or ink or perfume or other chemical can be put on the candidate button of the ballot unit — on which voters cast their vote — to reveal the secrecy of votes," the functionary underlined.
Should any such instance be discovered during polling, presiding officers are required to escalate immediately. Officials said the presiding officer "will immediately inform the sector officer or returning officer" — and that the sector officer or returning officer must be notified without delay if any such "mischief" is encountered.
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal Head to Polls on 23 April
The directive takes on added urgency given the electoral calendar. Both Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are scheduled to vote on Thursday, 23 April.
West Bengal will hold a further phase of polling on 29 April.
The two states join Kerala, Puducherry and Assam, which conducted their Assembly elections earlier this month. Results across all states will be declared on 4 May.
Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer Issues Separate Directive on Outside Workers
In a parallel development, West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer has issued orders requiring political workers and supporters from outside a given constituency to vacate ahead of the close of the campaign period.
"All political functionaries, party workers, and supporters who are not electors of the concerned constituency and who have been brought from outside shall leave the constituency immediately upon closure of the campaign period — that is, 48 hours before the hour fixed for conclusion of poll," the Tuesday order read, according to ANI.
The directive left little room for ambiguity on accountability: "Any laxity, misconduct, partisanship or failure on the part of any officer will be viewed seriously and will invite strict action as per law and the gravity of the lapse."
