Maharashtra Civic Elections = Fraud? Removable Ink Controversy Casts Shadow on State Election Commission

Key Points

The Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Elections held on 15 January 2026, involving 3.48 crore voters and 2,869 corporator seats, have been overshadowed by a controversy over the use of marker pens instead of traditional indelible ink. 

While polling across 29 urban centres was largely peaceful, complaints about removable ink rapidly spread on social media, prompting political criticism and an official inquiry by the State Election Commission (SEC). Videos circulated online showing voters wiping off the purple mark on their fingers using sanitiser or nail polish remover minutes after casting their vote. Opposition leaders alleged that this made double voting possible and compromised the sanctity of the electoral process.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said that instead of indelible ink, marker pens were being used at polling booths. He claimed the mark could be erased easily with sanitiser and warned that this could enable voters to re-enter booths and vote again. He further alleged that the administration was working in favour of the ruling party and urged Shiv Sena and MNS workers to remain vigilant against double-voting.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said he personally tested the ink after voting and demonstrated that it could be removed with nail polish remover. He questioned whether the ink had been properly tested before polling day.

Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray described the situation as a direct attack on democracy, calling it extremely serious that voting ink could be wiped off immediately.

See Also: BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP Win 68 of 69 Seats Unopposed Ahead of Maharashtra Civic Elections—Opposition Demands Scrapping of Polls

Initially, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare dismissed these allegations as a “false narrative.” In a video statement, he said the same indelible ink used by the Election Commission of India (ECI) was being applied, only in marker form, and that it dried in 10 to 12 seconds. He also warned that anyone attempting to vote twice would face legal action if caught by presiding officers.

However, as complaints continued to grow, the SEC shifted its stance. Waghmare later told Mumbai Mirror that the Commission had taken cognisance of the issue and would conduct a probe after collecting random samples of marker pens from affected polling booths. He said the key focus would be verifying whether the silver nitrate content in the ink met prescribed norms. Silver nitrate is the chemical responsible for making election ink permanent.

Waghmare admitted that procurement details and exact chemical specifications were not immediately available and would require reviewing older files. He said Kores had been supplying marker pens to the SEC since 2011 and that this was the first time such complaints had arisen in local body elections. He also said that the SEC is independent of the ECI and does not procure ink from Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, unlike the ECI.

Mumbai Municipal Commissioner, Bhushan Gagrani said the BMC would investigate all complaints related to ink use. He stated that preliminary observations suggested ink on the nail could be removed, but ink on the skin did not get erased. The BMC also issued a statement rejecting claims that removable ink was being used. It said polling staff had applied indelible ink to one finger of every voter’s left hand as per established procedure.

Despite this, the controversy intensified with political sparring.

MNS leader Raj Thackeray alleged that a person had been caught voting twice and argued that an election where fraud was possible could not be considered legitimate.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis countered these claims, showing his own inked finger to journalists and asserting that the mark could not be removed. He accused the Opposition of spreading baseless allegations and said their criticism showed they had already accepted defeat.

As the ink controversy continues to simmer, the SEC has promised to collect samples, seek clarification from Kores, and conduct a thorough review of chemical composition standards.

Beyond the ink issue, polling day also saw administrative complaints. Several voters reported being denied the right to vote despite having generated online slips, while BJP leader Ganesh Naik said his name was missing from a booth where he had voted for years. Opposition parties accused the SEC of poor communication, arbitrariness, and lack of transparency in its decisions after the election schedule was announced.

With vote counting scheduled soon, the episode has placed the SEC under sustained scrutiny and reignited debates over electoral credibility in Maharashtra’s urban local body polls.

[DS]

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