The polls for 29 city corporations, including Mumbai, were completed on Thursday evening (January 15, 2026) and one of the major issues that has surfaced through viral videos is voters claiming that ‘indelible’ ink can be easily wiped off with a solvent like acetone. The ink must be applied to the finger after applying the franchise.
Even Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin and Raj Thackeray of the MNS raised the issue and questioned the role of the Election Commission.
Acetone is a colorless, volatile, and flammable organic solvent with a sweet, pungent odor, widely used in nail polish removers, paint thinners, and cleaning agents due to its ability to dissolve many substances.
State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said the “indelible” ink would dry and should not be wiped off.
Marking ink from Kores has been used since 2011. The chemical composition of the ink is also correct, he said at the press conference.
”The viral videos of brand ink being wiped off are being investigated and legal action will be taken against those trying to spread the false story,” he said.
However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) dismissed reports claiming that the ink marks on voters’ fingers were being erased.
