MUMBAI: Voting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Thursday began amid controversy, after social media was flooded with videos showing voters and others allegedly removing the ‘indelible’ ink mark from their fingers using acetone.The BMC dismissed these claims, saying reports that the ink was being wiped off during polling were incorrect. Acetone is a colourless, highly volatile and flammable liquid commonly used in nail polish removers, paint thinners and cleaning products because it can dissolve several substances. Mumbai Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad shared a video on social media showing her party colleague using acetone to remove the ink mark from his finger.Varsha Gaikwad posted on X, “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 further added, “The management of the #BMCElection2026 this time raises several questions about accountability and transparency. 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!” Adding to the debate, a television journalist posted a video from his studio showing the ink being removed with acetone. He said he had recorded the video shortly after returning from Panvel, where he voted in the civic elections. Responding to the videos and online claims, the BMC issued a statement rejecting the allegations and termed the media reports factually incorrect. The civic body said 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.
