Maharashtra civic polls: Use of marker pens instead of indelible ink sparks row

Amid the row over the quality of 'indelible' ink used in marker pens in Maharashtra Civic Polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (January 16, 2026) asserted that "vote chori is an anti-national act" and accused the Election Commission of gaslighting citizens.

Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday (January 15, 2026) evening said it would conduct a thorough probe into the quality of the 'indelible' ink in marker pens used for the civic polls, after Opposition leaders alleged that the mark on a voter's finger could be removed easily, enabling bogus voting.

Maharashtra civic election results updates on January 16, 2026

Amid polling for 29 Municipal Corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), social media was flooded with videos claiming to demonstrate how the ink could be removed using chemicals such as acetone, even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the claims.