Maharashtra Civic Polls: 50% Turnout, Ink Row Sparks SEC Probe

• Around 50% polling was recorded across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, amidst sporadic clashes and allegations of bogus voting.
• A major controversy erupted over claims that the 'indelible' ink applied on voters' fingers could be easily removed, leading to a State Election Commission (SEC) probe.
• The SEC will not use marker pens for upcoming Zilla Parishad elections, reverting to traditional ink produced by Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd.
• Mumbai saw 41.08% turnout by 3:30 pm, with ward no 114 in Bhandup recording the highest at 53.34% and Colaba's ward no 227 the lowest at 15.73%.
• Bollywood celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, and Salman Khan, along with cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, cast their votes, urging citizen participation.

Why It Matters: Maharashtra civic polls saw 50% turnout, but an ink controversy led to an SEC probe and policy change.