Overview
- Videos from polling stations showed staff using marker pens on voters’ fingers, with several people demonstrating that the marks could be removed using acetone, sanitiser or soap.
- The SEC said it will randomly sample marker pens, named Kores (India) Ltd as the supplier, and announced a switch back to traditional bottled indelible ink for upcoming local elections.
- State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare maintained the markers use the Election Commission–approved ink and that once dried the mark should not wipe off.
- The commission warned that erasing the mark to attempt a second vote is an offence and stressed that booth records prevent repeat voting even if a mark is removed.
- Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Uddhav Thackeray, attacked the poll process as the BJP pushed back, while counting continued and officials noted about 2% EVM glitches.