The row has quickly become one of the biggest talking points of polling day, even as voting continues across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra. Around 3.48 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots, with 15,931 candidates in the fray.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, Raj Thackeray, and other opposition parties have voiced strong concerns, while the administration has denied claims of the ink being easily removable.
The Ink Controversy
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray was among the first to raise the issue. After casting his vote in the Dadar area, he accused the State Election Commission of bias and claimed the administration was being misused by the government to influence the outcome, according to a PTI report.
Thackeray questioned the use of the Printing Auxiliary Display Unit (PADU), alleged that the canvassing period was extended to allow the ruling parties to distribute money, and said the ink mark on voters’ fingers could be wiped off with sanitiser.
“They don’t want the Opposition parties. The entire administration is being run by the government. This is not the sign of a healthy democracy,” he said, urging his party workers to stay alert against any malpractice.
AAP calls polls a ‘farce,’ files complaint
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also joined the criticism. Its Mumbai president Ruben Mascarenhas shared a video on X showing how the marker ink could allegedly be removed using nail polish remover.
“Ink-marks being made on Voter’s fingers by using ‘marker pens’ instead of government-manufactured indelible ink, is easily wearing off by the simple use of ‘Nail Polish Remover’ as I demonstrate, in this video. Totally Unacceptable. Elections are being reduced to a farce,” he wrote.
The party has filed a formal complaint with the Maharashtra State Election Commission over the issue.
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.
Totally Unacceptable. Elections are being reduced to a farce.… pic.twitter.com/io5nEfUMHx— Ruben Mascarenhas (@rubenmasc) January 15, 2026
Poll commissioner orders inquiry
Responding to the controversy, Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare told CNBC-TV18 that the poll body would conduct an inquiry into the complaints.
“We are using the same ink that the Election Commission uses in every election. We have been using this ink for the last 10 years. The ink shouldn’t come off,” Waghmare said, adding that if it was coming off, “maybe some people are using acetone.”
When told that voters were claiming the ink was coming off even without acetone, sanitiser, or water, Waghmare maintained that the ink should not fade. He said voters’ names were being marked on sheets, which would prevent bogus voting.
When asked how bogus voting would be prevented if someone used a fake identity, Waghmare did not give a direct response and reiterated that the ink should not come off, adding that the matter would be investigated.
Fadnavis hits back at Opposition
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also responded to the allegations, pushing back against what he called unnecessary alarm.
Referring to the marker used on voters’ fingers, he said he too had been marked with one. “Is it erasing? The Election Commission should look into this issue and use something else, they can use oil paint if they want, the elections should be impartial. But creating a ruckus on everything and raising questions is very wrong,” Fadnavis said.
The BMC administration has also denied the allegations that the ink marks on voters’ fingers were being wiped off and that the BMC chief had acknowledged the matter.
In a statement, the civic body stated that such media reports were factually incorrect, reported PTI. “The municipal commissioner has not made any statement whatsoever about indelible ink being wiped off after voting. Therefore, there is no factual basis to the reports being circulated in the media,” according to the BMC.
Failure Of Voter List Portal
On Thursday, NCP National Spokesperson Anish Gawande criticised the Maharashtra State Election Commission for the failure of its voter list portal. In a post on X, he stated that the official portal, mahasecvoterlist.in, crashed on the morning of the 2026 civic polls.
Gawande noted that voters were forced to hunt for their names in printed lists at polling stations, a process he compared to voting in “1995.”
“Voters in Mumbai stuck at polling booths hunting for names in dusty printed lists like it’s 1995. This is Digital India? @MaharashtraSEC, fix your website or stop pretending we’re in the 21st century!” he wrote on X.
Missing Names on Voter Lists
Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik and his family faced significant issues in Navi Mumbai when their names were missing from the electoral roll. Naik and his family members, who have historically voted at Navi Mumbai School No. 94, had to wait for hours at the polling station. They finally voted at St Mary’s school in the Koparkhairane area.
“My family members and relatives live in the same building in Navi Mumbai, but our names were divided into three different polling centres. If a minister like me can face a situation where his name is missing from the voters’ list, then one can imagine what might be happening to common voters,” Naik said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi reported that her name was missing from the voter list at her usual polling station. Speaking with ANI, she said that upon arriving at her regular polling station, she was unable to find her name in the list and was directed to another polling booth.
“I was directed to another location where I cast my vote. I appeal to all Mumbaikars to vote in large numbers and to please check their polling booth details before going to vote. It is very important to vote for a party that has earned our trust over the years,” she added.
BMC Polls Vote Counting On January 16
According to civic commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, the counting of votes for the BMC elections will start at 10 am on Friday, January 16, reported PTI.
In the first four hours of polling for the BMC election on Thursday, an average of 17.73% of voters cast their ballots. The polls, which started at 7.30 am is scheduled to continue till 5.30 pm amid tight security arrangements across Mumbai.
