Amid the ongoing polls for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra on Thursday (January 15, 2026), suspicion and allegations mounted from the voters over the alleged use of marker pens being applied on voters’ fingers to indicate that they have cast their vote instead of indelible ink. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday raised serious concerns over the integrity of the ongoing civic elections, alleging that the indelible ink used during voting could be easily removed. Calling it an unprecedented issue, Thackeray said this was the first election where his party was receiving a large number of complaints related to the quality of the ink applied on voters’ fingers. “This is the first election in which we are receiving a lot of complaints. For example, the ink applied to voters’ fingers can be removed immediately, which is a serious issue,” Thackeray told reporters in Mumbai. The State Election Commission, however, rejected the charge.
Uddhav Thackeray's cousin and Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray also flagged the issue. "They (the government) don't want the Opposition parties. The entire administration is being run by the government (to win the polls). This is not the sign of a healthy democracy. There is a limit to misuse of power," he said. Thackeray also targeted the State Election Commission over the use of the Printing Auxiliary Display Unit (PADU) in the civic polls.PADU is being used in the BMC polls for the first time to facilitate vote counting in the event of technical glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs). They will act as backup units, BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani had said, adding that these, like the other EVM units, will remain with Returning Officers and will be used only in case of emergency. Thackeray alleged that the poll body did not even bother to give any clarification on the use of PADU and extended the canvassing time to allow distribution of money (by ruling parties).He also asked MNS workers to stay alert against any malpractices by rival parties in the polls, which are being held in the city for the first time since 2017.