A shocking development in Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections: indelible ink is reportedly washing off voters’ fingers almost immediately. Raj Thackeray, firebrand leader of MNS, has branded it a deliberate ploy to enable multiple voting and swing outcomes.
Eyewitness accounts flooded social media Wednesday evening, with images of spotless fingers going viral. Thackeray wasted no time, calling an emergency meet and vowing legal action alongside street protests.
‘Our democracy is under attack,’ he declared, pointing fingers at rivals in the Sena-BJP ecosystem. BMC, India’s richest civic body with a Rs 52,000 crore budget, controls vital services for 1.2 crore residents.
Authorities counter that the ink met international standards, blaming soap and water exposure. Yet, lab tests demanded by MNS could reveal if substandard materials were used.
The backdrop is a fiercely contested election post-Shiv Sena split, with Eknath Shinde’s faction eyeing dominance. Thackeray’s outburst revives his anti-migrant rhetoric, potentially consolidating his base.
Polling percentage hit 55%, lower than expected amid rains. Counting begins tomorrow under tight security, but Thackeray’s mobilization risks clashes.
Critics argue such claims erode faith in ECI processes. With 227 wards at stake, the ink fiasco could redefine Mumbai’s political map—or spark chaos.