Mumbai: With elections to 29 municipal corporations underway Thursday in Maharashtra, there have been complaints, especially in Mumbai, about the State Election Commission (SEC) using indelible-ink-based marker pens, instead of indelible ink during the voting process.
Several posts and videos have come up on social media about how the mark has been coming off with acetone, nail polish removers, and strong hand washes.
The Opposition parties such as the Shiv Sena UBT, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party have also objected to the use of the marker pens.
The AAP has also formally recorded a complaint with the State Election Commission. Its Mumbai leader Ruben Mascarenhas demonstrated in a video how the ink gets removed.
Ink-marks being made on Voter’s fingers by using ‘marker pens’ instead of Govt manufactured indelible ink, is easily wearing off by the simple use of ‘Nail Polish Remover’ as I demonstrate, in this video.
Unacceptable. AAP has complained to SEC.#BMCPolls2026 pic.twitter.com/no5jqazMrw
— Ruben Mascarenhas (@rubenmasc) January 15, 2026
Former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena UBT party chief Uddhav Thackeray told the media that the election commissioner should be held accountable. “The election commissioner needs to be answerable (the people).”
Later, the State Election Commission issued a statement saying that it was wrong to erase the ink and confuse the voters. “If we identify any voter coming to the booth after erasing the ink, action will be taken against the voter. Even if any voter like this comes up, he/she won’t be able to vote again because officials take note of those exercising their rights,” it added.
The SEC added that the use of marker pens was in use ever since a new set of rules and regulations were issued in November 2011.
Uddhav’s cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, too, drew the media’s attention to the matter. “As soon as you get out of the voting booth, one can use sanitiser to remove this ink. And so I want to tell Shiv Sainiks and Maharashtra sainiks to be alert and catch dubious voters as well as those who are coming with the inks wiped off,” he said after casting his vote.
Appealing to the workers of his alliance to remain alert, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sainath Durge took to social media and showed how the ink can be removed.
मतदान केल्यानंतर बोटावर लावण्यासाठी आज मार्कर पेन वापरलं जातंय, ती शाई सहज पुसली जातेय… शिवसैनिक, महाराष्ट्रसैनिक आणि शिवशक्तीच्या सर्व कार्यकर्त्यांना आवाहन आहे की सतर्क रहा, शाई पुसली जाण्याचा कोणी गैरफायदा घेत नाही ना ह्याकडे लक्ष द्या! गाफिल राहू नका!@ShivSenaUBT_… pic.twitter.com/uPInrLrUWR
— Sainath Durge (@DurgeSainath) January 15, 2026
Similarly, Congress chief spokesperson Sachin Sawant demonstrated how the ink can be removed in a video featuring himself and his wife.
Not just in Mumbai, complaints were reported even from Pune when NCP(SP) leader Rohit Pawar said how the ink is getting erased.
मतदानानंतर बोटाला लावलेली शाई अनेक दिवस तशीच रहात असल्याचं आतापर्यंतच्या अनेक निवडणुकींमध्ये बघितलंय… पण आज ही लावण्यात आलेली शाई लगेचच पुसली जात असून अशा प्रकारची शाई वापरणं म्हणजे दुबार आणि बोगस मतदानासाठी निवडणूक आयोगानेच लावलेला हा हातभार नाही का? की बोगस मतदानाच्या… pic.twitter.com/2InMftEca9
— Rohit Pawar (@RRPSpeaks) January 15, 2026
The Opposition, according to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was making an issue out of this “because they were on the losing side”.
“These things are decided by the Election Commission. And marker pens were used previously as well. But if there are complaints then the Election Commission should take a note,” Fadnavis told the media.
“However, I feel some people are preempting the results that are coming tomorrow and they are preparing to blame something.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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