'Indelible' ink sparks controversy; BMC, election commission respond

Voting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC Election 2026 kicked off on Thursday amid unexpected controversy Videos went viral on social media showing voters allegedly wiping off the ldquoindeliblerdquo ink from their fingers using acetone nail polish remover and hand sanitisersThe clips sparked alarm across the city Soon thereafter complaints poured in not just from Mumbai but from several other parts of Maharashtra raising concerns about the integrity of the voting process Social media debates flared with voters accusing authorities of negligence and potential fraud Political leaders too entered the fray amplifying the issueBMC polls Voters demonstrate how lsquoindeliblersquo ink can be wiped offIn a viral Instagram video voters demonstrate that the indelible ink applied after voting can be easily wiped off with just water raising concerns over the integrity and reliability of the election processView this post on InstagramA post shared by Dadar dadarmumbaikarMaharashtra leaders reactShiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray voiced his concern over the issue saying ldquoThis is the first election where we are receiving a lot of complaints For example the ink applied to votersrsquo fingers can be removed immediately which is a serious issuerdquoMumbai Maharashtra Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray says This is the first election in which we are receiving a lot of complaints For example the ink applied to votersrsquo fingers can be removed immediately which is a serious issue pictwittercomZB3VrsQqSMmdash IANS ians_india January 15 2026Meanwhile Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS chief Raj Thackeray alleged irregularities in the voting process claiming that a change in the indelible ink pen used during polling could enable malpracticeldquoThe earlier ink had been replaced with a new pen about which complaints have been received It can reportedly be wiped off using hand sanitizer allowing voters to erase the mark and attempt to vote againrdquo he saidThackeray added that one individual had already been caught trying to vote twice urging citizens and party workers to remain vigilantMumbai MNS chief Raj Thackeray says The ink that was used before is being replaced with a new pen and there are complaints about this new pen If you use a hand sanitizer the ink disappears Now the only option left is to apply the ink go outside wipe it off and then gohellip httpstcoyRi4YIjryr pictwittercom4P7ECMNifymdash ANI ANI January 15 2026NCP SP MP Supriya Sule took to X stating ldquoAs the municipal corporation elections in the state conclude today the emerging reports are extremely shocking and concerning Serious EVM malfunctions have been reported at multiple polling stations In several locations after casting their votes the light indicating the chosen candidate does not appear and the usual lsquobeeprsquo sound fails to register even after all votes are castrdquoShe added ldquoIn many areas voters are being asked to wipe off the ink on their fingers after voting raising a serious questionmdashcould this be to facilitate bogus votingrdquoSule also claimed that there are persistent glitches in polling station arrangements and numberingIn some cases candidate names on EVMs were incorrect Reports of open distribution of money outside polling stations have also surfaced These incidents have created confusion and anxiety among voters casting a shadow of suspicion over the entire processrdquo she said EVM hellip pictwittercomwQayw3AbiSmdash Supriya Sule supriya_sule January 15 2026In an X video posted by Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut he demonstrated how voters can easily wipe off the marked ink from their fingers using nail polish removerCongress MP Varsha Gaikwad also took to X to highlight voter concerns over the indelible ink issue asking ldquoIs the BMC wiping off accountabilityrdquoShe further stated ldquoSince morning we have received multiple reports showing that the marker ink used to indicate voting can be easily wiped off My colleague sachin_inc and his wife have even demonstrated how acetone or nail polish remover can remove the inkrdquoGaikwad criticised the management of BMC Election 2026 citing lastminute voter inducements missing names on voter lists SEC website crashes and the easily wiped ink raising questions about transparency and accountabilityldquoThe faith of people in our democratic process must be protected yet the Election Commission and BMC appear unconcernedrdquo she wroteGaikwad further emphasised ldquoFor a robust democracy the voting process must be transparent and reliable but the current situation falls short and this must be regrettably notedrdquoBMC wiping off accountability Since morning we have been receiving several reports of how the marker ink being used to show voting has been done is easily being wiped off My colleague sachin_inc and his wife here demonstrate how this ink can be easily wiped off with acetonehellip pictwittercomhprCHU7a73mdash Prof Varsha Eknath Gaikwad VarshaEGaikwad January 15 2026Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray alleged ldquovote chorirdquo vote theft on X highlighting the ink issue after a viral post by a social media user Sudhir SuryawanshiIn the X post Suryawanshi stated ldquoIn Pune NCP workers discovered cleaner bottles in BJP offices used to wipe off ink marks from voters who had already cast their votes allowing them to recast NCP workers barged into the BJP office and seized the bottlesrdquoResponding to Suryawanshis claims Aaditya Thackeray wrote ldquoCheat cheat cheat Vote chori now Mat Chori The lowest kind of politics seen globally is what the BJP is practisingrdquo criticising the alleged malpracticeCheat cheat cheat Vote chori now Mat Chori The lowest kind of politics what can be seen globally is what the bjp practices httpstcoKuZEplZB1Xmdash Aaditya Thackeray AUThackeray January 15 2026BMC and SEC respondHowever the BMC was quick to dismiss these reports In a statement the civic body clarified that the circulating media claims were factually incorrect and that BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani had not made any comment about ink being wiped off votersrsquo fingersThe Maharashtra State Election Commission SEC also weighed in reiterating that attempting to remove the ink to mislead authorities is a violation of the lawAccording to the SEC ldquoEven if someone tries to commit misconduct by wiping off the ink a duly marked voter cannot vote again Precautions are in place and each vote is recorded immediatelyrdquoThe poll body also explained that the use of marker pens for indelible ink has been in place since November 28 2011 with instructions for ink application clearly marked on the pen The ink must be applied prominently and rubbed several times on the nail and surrounding skin ensuring voters cannot bypass the systemWiping off voter ink is an offense legal action will follow the State Election Commission said in the statementGet all BMC Election 2026 updates here Results here