During the Maharashtra civic polls held on Thursday, January 15, 2026, a significant controversy erupted as opposition parties and numerous voters alleged that marker pens were being used instead of the standard indelible ink to mark voters' fingers. Leaders from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT), including Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray, along with Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant, vocally raised concerns, claiming that the marks made by these pens could be easily removed using hand sanitiser, nail polish remover, or acetone. Viral videos circulated widely on social media, purportedly showing voters, politicians, and journalists effortlessly wiping off the ink after casting their ballots, which fueled fears of potential voter fraud and multiple voting. Opposition parties asserted that such practices undermined the integrity of the electoral process and hinted at collusion between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the State Election Commission (SEC). In response to the mounting complaints, Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani stated that all complaints related to the use of ink would be probed. The Maharashtra State Election Commission, led by Dinesh Waghmare, also launched a detailed investigation into the viral videos and the quality of the ink. However, the SEC clarified that marker pens for indelible ink have been in use in local body elections since 2011 or 2012 and that the ink from the Kores company has the correct chemical composition, requiring 10-12 seconds to dry. The SEC and BMC initially rejected claims that the ink was easily removable, deeming them factually incorrect or misleading, and warned of legal action against individuals found propagating false narratives or attempting electoral malpractice by erasing the ink. Despite these assurances, the controversy dominated the election day narrative, highlighting intense scrutiny over electoral procedures.