Mumbai: Following criticism over the use of "marker pens" in the recent Maharashtra municipal corporation elections, the State Election Commission (SEC) has ordered indelible ink in bottles for the upcoming zilla parishad and panchayat samiti polls, according to State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare.

As reported in the Indian Express, Waghmare explained that marker pens with indelible ink cartridges have been in use since 2011 to simplify application and prevent issues like spillage or bottle breakage associated with traditional glass bottles.

During the January 15, 2026, voting for 29 municipal corporations – the first in nine years – voters and opposition parties raised the concern that the ink marks could be easily erased. They also pointed out that the ink, if once erased, could lead to errors in the voting process.

The ruling alliance and SEC refuted these claims on the day of polling, as reported in Express and Waghmare has claimed that tampering with the ink mark constitutes a cognisable criminal offense and urged voters to ignore rumours.

Further, addressing the controversy, the SEC has placed orders for 1.5 lakh 5-cc bottles and 75,000 10-cc bottles of indelible ink from Mysore Paints, which will be used in the February elections for rural local bodies.

The decision came after the civic elections and political parties accusing the SEC of not acting on time. The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies secured victories in most of the local bodies contested in the just-concluded municipal election. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Vijay Kumbhar described the switch to the new ink as belated, noting widespread reports of the ink vanishing quickly. He called for a thorough probe into the initial approval for the pens and any possible misuse.

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