Show your inked finger and get a free movie ticket!

CHENNAI: Now, people in Tamil Nadu have one more reason to cast their votes. A few commercial establishments in Chennai and other cities in Tamil Nadu have announced gifts and discounts for those who cast their votes on May 16.

“Go vote & get free movie tickets, post the selfie of your inked finger in the comments. Let's achieve ‪#‎TN100Percent together,” posted AGS Cinemas on its Facebook.

“Cast your vote and immediately take a selfie of yourselves with your hand showing the ink. Post the picture with the hashtags ‪#‎TN100percent and ‪#‎VoteandGettoshape on our page as a message to us or in your timeline tagging us. After doing this, claim one free cavitation sitting, a popular inch-loss procedure by fixing an appointment with us," read a Facebook post of Chennai-based clinic Get To Shape.

“Head out and cast your vote this week! And after that, join us at ‪#‎ICChennai to avail a stay, a luxury spa experience or a meal at our restaurants with 30% savings. ‪#‎MakeItCount," read a Facebook post by InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort.

The Trichy chapter of Young Indians (Yi), the youth wing of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has launched an initiative -- Show the Ink campaign -- which will give discounts, at selected food outlets, for those who cast their votes.

Some netizens criticised these offers. Santhosh R commented on Facebook: “Voting is fundamental duty of a citizen. Don't reduce its value by offering ‘freebies’ to exercise our duty...Simply don't post irresponsibly to promote your business and make more money.”

When contacted, a senior official in the Chennai district election office said they neither approached nor received any application for incentives for votes. “We are against cash for votes. But as long as it is for a good purpose, we don’t have any problem.”