After marker pens drew flak, Maharashtra SEC goes back to ink bottles for zilla parishad polls

However, on January 15, when the 29 municipal corporations in the state voted after a gap of nine years, there was sustained criticism about the use of the pen, with many saying the ink mark could be removed easily. Opposition parties questioned the markers and claimed that the ink mark could be removed easily. On the day of the voting, the ruling alliance and the SEC issued statements denying the claim, with Waghmare urging voters not to fall prey to rumours. He had added that any attempt to tamper with the ink marking was a cognisable and criminal offence.

Waghmare said that in view of the uncertainty created by the use of marker pens, the SEC had decided to go back to ink bottles. “We have already placed orders of 1.5 lakh bottles of 5 cc such bottles and 75,000 bottles of 10 cc indelible ink with Mysore Paints. These will be used in the upcoming zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections. These rural local bodies will go to the polls in February.

However, AAP leader Vijay Kumbhar said the decision had come too late. “The way the ruling dispensation had reacted to the criticism itself was odd. The chief minister tried to show that the ink could not be removed. But voters across the state said the ink was getting erased in seconds. A thorough investigation must be done in order to understand the process,” he said.

Kumbhar also said the investigation should look into why the pens were allowed in the first place and whether they were misused.

The BJP won most of the local bodies in the elections.