BMC polls: Viral videos of ink removal spark row; SEC orders probe

Mumbai: In the midst of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, a new controversy has surfaced after videos allegedly showing voters removing indelible ink from their fingers post-voting went viral on social media. Responding to the row, Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare on Thursday said the videos are being examined and cautioned that action would be taken against those attempting to circulate a misleading narrative.

Social media platforms were inundated with clips of voters, political figures, and journalists using acetone to erase the so-called ‘indelible’ ink applied with marker pens on their fingers after casting their votes.

The BMC, however, dismissed claims suggesting that ink marks on voters’ fingers were being removed during the ongoing civic elections.

Acetone is a colourless, highly volatile and flammable organic solvent with a sharp, sweet smell. It is commonly found in nail polish removers, paint thinners, and cleaning products due to its strong dissolving properties, reported PTI.

Election Commissioner Waghmare stated that the ‘indelible’ ink requires time to dry and should not be rubbed immediately. He added that marker ink supplied by the Kores company has been in use since 2011 and that its chemical composition is appropriate. These remarks were made during a press briefing.

''The viral videos of the marker ink being wiped off are being investigated, and case will be filed against those trying to spread a fake narrative,'' he said.

He further noted that, based on the experience with marker pens, traditional ‘indelible’ ink would be used for the Zilla Parishad elections scheduled for next month.

Waghmare also informed that only one instance of bogus voting had been reported so far and that necessary action had already been taken.

Addressing complaints from voters whose names were missing at polling stations where they had previously voted in Lok Sabha and assembly elections, Waghmare explained that the electoral rolls had been reorganised ward-wise. He stressed that it was the responsibility of both voters and candidates to verify polling details in advance.

"The SEC has been made a soft target. The poll body cannot be blamed for everything. The assembly and Lok Sabha polling booths may not be the same for the ward-wise polling,'' he said.

He also mentioned that state minister Ganesh Naik had gone to the wrong polling booth in Navi Mumbai, which delayed his voting.

Earlier in the day, Mumbai Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad shared a video on social media showing a party colleague removing ink from his finger using acetone.

“BMC wiping off accountability? Since morning, we have been receiving several reports of how the marker ink being used to show voting has been done, is easily being wiped off. My colleague and his wife here demonstrate how this ink can be easily wiped off with acetone or nail polish remover,” she wrote on X.

Gaikwad alleged that the conduct of the BMC elections raised serious concerns regarding transparency and accountability.

"The various last-minute bribes to voters going unchecked, the missing names of voters, the SEC website crashing making it difficult for voters to find their names, ink that is being easily wiped. The faith of the people in our democratic process must be protected at all costs but the election commission and the BMC seem to be completely unbothered about it. Shame!” she posted.

Meanwhile, a television journalist also uploaded a video showing him removing ink from his finger with acetone in a studio, shortly after returning from Panvel, where he had voted in the civic polls.

Responding to the allegations, the BMC issued a statement asserting that such media reports were factually incorrect.

It reiterated that, as per established procedure, polling officials apply indelible ink to one finger of the voter’s left hand at the polling station at the time of voting on the electronic voting machine.