Election Commission Blames Voters for Confusion, Defends Indelible Ink

• Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare blamed voters, political parties, and candidates for the widespread confusion during municipal elections.
• Waghmare defended the indelible ink marker pens, stating they have been used since 2011 and dry within 12-15 seconds, dismissing claims of ink wiping off as 'spreading confusion'.
• He clarified that the local self-government elections are happening after 10 years, leading to confusion about procedures, especially with multi-ward candidate elections.
• Waghmare addressed Uddhav Thackeray's criticism, stating the Election Commission is being 'soft-targeted' and is not solely responsible for all issues.
• He acknowledged a 2% EVM malfunction rate, attributing it to using the same machines for 10 years without new purchases, and mentioned a plan to use traditional indelible ink for Zilla Parishad elections.

Why It Matters: Election Commission attributes election day chaos to voters and parties, defends ink, and acknowledges EVM issues.