New Delhi, April 22 -- 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.

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 Indi...