4 months ago
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Amid the ongoing polls for 29 municipal corporations crossed Maharashtra connected Thursday (January 15, 2026), suspicion and allegations mounted from the voters implicit the alleged usage of marker pens being applied connected voters’ fingers to bespeak that they person formed their ballot alternatively of indelible ink.
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As per procedure, polling unit use indelible ink to 1 digit of the voter’s near manus astatine the clip of casting the ballot connected the physics voting instrumentality astatine the polling station.
Maharashta Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray questioned the contention astir the indelible ink and said, “The Election Commission hasn’t shown parties the EVM machines. We won’t let this. The ink connected the digit aft voting tin beryllium removed with a sanitiser. Instead of ink, pens are being utilized aft voting.”
“The full medication is moving for the ruling party. This isn’t a motion of bully democracy. This isn’t what we telephone governance. Everyone should beryllium alert. There’s a bounds to misusing power. Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supporters should support an oculus connected those re-voting and wiping disconnected the ink,” Mr. Thackeray said.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that the pen marker is utilized successful spot of indelible ink connected the voter’s finger, and further alleged that it tin beryllium removed utilizing nail polish remover.
Meanwhile, reacting to the reports, Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said, “We volition probe each the complaints related to the usage of ink. Preliminary reflection is that the ink connected the nail is removable, but the ink connected the tegument doesn’t get erased.”
According to the State Election Commission, a full of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to formed their ballots to determine the destiny of 15,908 candidates contesting 2,869 seats crossed 893 wards successful 29 municipal corporations. A full of 39,092 polling centres person been acceptable up crossed the state.
