Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday stirred controversy by claiming that the ink mark applied after voting in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections “can be wiped off with sanitiser.” He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after casting his vote at a polling station in Mumbai, accompanied by his family.

Thackeray criticized the State Election Commission (SEC) over the use of the Printing Auxiliary Display Unit (PADU) in the elections, which are being used for the first time as backup devices for electronic voting machines (EVMs) in case of technical glitches. He alleged that the SEC has failed to provide adequate clarification and accused authorities of favoring ruling parties.

The MNS chief also raised concerns over the use of pens instead of indelible ink, questioning the fairness of the polls. “They don’t want the Opposition parties. The entire administration is being run by the government to win the polls,” Thackeray said, calling it a misuse of power and urging MNS workers to remain vigilant against malpractice.

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Raj Thackeray’s cousin, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, also flagged the ink issue, claiming he has received multiple complaints about ink marks being removed and voters missing from electoral rolls. The cousins, who parted ways in 2005, recently allied for the BMC elections, centering their campaign around Marathi pride and the cause of the “Marathi manoos.”

The BMC elections, held after a five-year delay, began at 7:30 am across 10,231 polling stations in Mumbai, with 64,375 staff deployed for election duty. For the first time, authorities introduced geo-fencing and live vehicle tracking for 2,865 vehicles to monitor election operations and ensure smooth conduct of the polls.

A total of 1,700 candidates are contesting 227 seats in Mumbai, whose civic body manages an annual budget exceeding Rs 74,400 crore. Voting is also underway in multiple municipal corporations across Maharashtra, with results scheduled to be announced on January 16. The elections are closely watched for their implications on local governance and political balance in the state.

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