New Delhi: Voters across Mumbai who queued up on Thursday morning to vote for their next Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), have alleged that the election officials were using marker pens instead of the indelible ink to mark fingers after casting the vote, Mid-day reported. The suspicions and allegations mounted amid the ongoing polls for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra. Several videos were circulating on social media platforms showing that the ink could be wiped off using substances like acetone, nail polish remover and hand sanitisers. As per practice across all elections in India, polling staff apply the indelible ink to one finger of the voter’s left hand at the time of casting the vote on the electronic voting machine at the polling station. This ink is a semi-permanent dye which does not come off easily, and helps prevent frauds like double voting.The concerns came from voters in Mumbai, in areas including Goregaon, Andheri, Malad, Powai and Kandivali. Many raised questions about the effectiveness of the marking.Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supremo Raj Thackeray also claimed that voters were being marked using markers, alleging that the administration was being misused to help the ruling alliance.Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, Thackeray alleged, “People come out, wipe the ink and go back inside to vote again. Then they come out, wipe it again and re-enter. Is this what the government calls development.”BMC rejects claims, SEC says ‘punishable offence’The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has rejected these reports, claiming that the ink marks on voters’ fingers were being wiped off deliberately.Speaking to reporters, state election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare, responded to the allegations, saying, “The indelible ink is in the form of a marker. It is the same ink which is used by the Election Commission. Videos are being circulated to create confusion among people.”According to the Mid-day report, the Maharashtra state election commission has issued a clarification, underscoring that attempting to remove the ink applied on a voter’s finger to create confusion or to vote again is a punishable offence.SEC officials have said that there are clear safeguards in place to prevent such malpractice, including an official record which is maintained. Simply removing the ink does not change this record, read an official statement.Officials have also warned that strict legal action will be taken against anyone found trying to vote a second time after removing the ink.Meanwhile, as per a report by The Hindu, Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has said: “We will probe all the complaints related to the use of ink. Preliminary observation is that the ink on the nail is removable, but the ink on the skin doesn’t get erased.”