Voting Ink Controversy: Election Commission Clarifies Marker Pen Use

• State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare addressed concerns about voting ink being wiped off, clarifying that marker pens from Chorus company have been used since 2011.
• Waghmare stated that the ink is indelible and dries within 12-15 seconds, dismissing claims of it being easily wiped off as confusion.
• He confirmed that while marker pens were used for municipal elections, indelible ink will be used for upcoming Zilla Parishad elections.
• Waghmare also discussed issues of duplicate voters, faulty EVMs (2% rate), and voter list discrepancies, urging voters to check lists via apps/portals.
• Serious irregularities, including suspected duplicate voting, were reported in wards 200-206 of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation General Election 2026, leading to ballot box sealing and demands for re-election.

Why It Matters: Election Commission clarifies voting ink is indelible marker, but will switch to traditional ink for future Zilla Parishad polls.