‘Vanished by next day’: After marker row, SEC to revert to bottled indelible ink; quotations invited from manufacturers

PUNE: The State Election Commission (SEC) will return to traditional bottled indelible ink for the upcoming zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections on Feb 5, following controversy over marker pens used in recent municipal corporation polls, which allegedly left erasable marks, sparking concerns of bogus voting.

"We will use indelible ink bottles instead of marker pens for the upcoming local body polls as we prefer to adopt a cautious approach," state election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said on Saturday.




SEC will issue a fresh procurement order to ensure adequate stock before polling day — around 1.5 lakh bottles of 5cc ink and 75,000 bottles of 10cc ink. "Quotations have been invited from manufacturers of indelible ink," an official said.

Soon after the voting began on Thursday, several videos purportedly showing ink marks being wiped off went viral on social media, prompting sharp reactions from citizens and politicians. A voter alleged that the ink mark on his nail and skin faded within a day of polling. "It was applied very lightly and had almost vanished by the next day," he said. A first-time elector, however, said while the ink was faint, it was still visible. "I haven't tried to remove it with anything, but the mark is quite light," she said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded the suspension of state election commissioner Waghmare, claiming he was favouring the BJP-led alliance. MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Congress member Vijay Wadettiwar also raised doubts about the process, saying the marker ink was sub-standard and could be wiped off easily. Maharashtra state women's commission chairperson and senior NCP leader Rupali Chakankar also objected to the use of marker pens, citing complaints that the ink could be removed using nail polish remover. "It would be better to use bottled ink, as was done during the Lok Sabha and assembly elections," she told TOI.

On polling day, Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant posted a video showing the ink on his wife's finger being wiped off with nail polish remover. In response, ruling party members pushed back, with CM Devendra Fadnavis defending the procedure and suggesting critics were only complaining because they anticipated defeat.

Taking cognizance of the allegations and the videos doing round on social media, SEC directed all municipal corporations to submit samples — five to six used and unused marker pens — for laboratory testing. "The pens will undergo testing and the results will be available within a week," Waghmare said, adding that no such complaints had been reported during the recent municipal council elections, where the same type of marker pens had been used.

The state election commissioner said indelible-ink markers had been in use for local body elections since 2011. While the Election Commission of India (ECI) procures indelible ink from Mysore Paints, SEC sources marker pens from a different manufacturer. "The ink typically takes 10-12 seconds to dry, after which it cannot be removed," he said, while dismissing claims that acetone or nail polish remover could erase the mark.

SEC also clarified that attempting to remove the ink was a punishable offence and did not enable someone to vote again. "Even if a voter removes the ink mark, s/he cannot cast another ballot, as voter participation is officially recorded. Polling officials maintain accurate records of individuals who have already voted," SEC stated earlier.

The poll panel also warned that efforts to remove ink or spread misinformation, including through misleading videos, could lead to legal action. "A fake narrative is being circulated," Waghmare said, adding that an inquiry into the complaints was on.

About indelible ink

Indelible ink has been a crucial part of Indian elections since 1962, preventing multiple voting and ensuring the integrity of the process

The ink contains silver nitrate, which reacts with skin and light to leave a dark mark that fades only as the outer layer of skin wears away

This mark typically remains visible for 3-4 days on the skin and up to 2-4 weeks on the nail

Indelible ink markers have been used since 2011