BMC Polls drama on erasable ink (PHOTO: X)
Voting’s underway in Mumbai for the crucial BMC elections, and social media is buzzing. Opposition leaders and others are claiming that the so-called ‘indelible’ ink on voters’ fingers actually comes off if you use acetone.
Videos started popping up online, showing people wiping away the ink with nail polish remover.
The BMC jumped in fast, saying these stories were false and the ink was doing its job just fine. Still, the controversy picked up speed, so the State Election Commission decided to launch an investigation.
Now, acetone isn’t some rare chemical; it’s the stuff you find in nail polish remover, paint thinner, and cleaning products. It’s colorless, flammable, and dissolves all kinds of things.
Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad shared a video of her party colleague using acetone to rub off the ink on his finger. In the video, he shows how quickly the mark disappears.
Gaikwad didn’t hold back in her post on X. “BMC wiping off accountability? All day, we’ve been getting reports that the marker ink is just coming off. Here’s my colleague and his wife, showing how easy it is to wipe it off with acetone or nail polish remover.”
She went on to question the whole election process this year—last-minute bribes, voters’ names missing, the SEC website crashing, and now this ink issue. “People’s faith in our democracy has to be protected, but the election commission and BMC don’t seem to care. Shame!” she finished.
Here’s what the State Election Commission had to say: Trying to remove the indelible ink from voters’ fingers to cause confusion isn’t just sneaky, it’s illegal.
If anyone gets caught trying to vote again after wiping off the ink, they’ll face legal action. The Commission made it clear: if someone tries to scrub off that ink at the polling booth, they won’t get another shot at voting.
Polling staff already know to watch out for this. Once someone casts their vote, it goes on record, so even if they manage to get rid of the ink, they can’t vote twice. The Commission has reminded everyone involved just to make sure the message gets through.
Later, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare spoke up about the complaints. He said there’s now an inquiry underway and shot down rumours that acetone or nail polish remover can wipe off the ink.
“We’ve used these same ink markers since 2011. They come from the same company, with the same formula. The ink dries in about 10 to 12 seconds and won’t come off once it’s set. Spreading videos online to confuse people about this is unacceptable and could get you in trouble,” Waghmare told reporters.
On the political front, MNS chief Raj Thackeray didn’t hold back. He accused the government of swapping out the usual indelible ink for a marker pen that can be erased with hand sanitiser.
“They’ve switched to a new pen, and people are complaining. Use hand sanitizer and the mark disappears. So, what’s left? You just ink, clean it, and go back to vote again. This new rule for campaigning isn’t right. It looks like the government will do anything to hold onto power,” Thackeray said during a press meet.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis wasn’t having any of it. He dismissed Thackeray’s claims and said the opposition shouldn’t keep picking fights with government agencies. “I got marked with the same marker—does it come off? The Election Commission should check it out, and if needed, they can use oil paint. Elections need to be fair. But making a fuss about everything and always raising questions isn’t right,” Fadnavis said.
Exit polls for the high-stakes BMC Elections 2026 suggest a clear edge for the BJP-led…
India’s aviation regulator DGCA has launched a probe after an Air India Airbus A350 at…
The Indian Coast Guard intercepted a Pakistani fishing boat in the Arabian Sea after it…
