US EditionUddhav Thackeray Slams Maharashtra Civic Polls as 'Democracy Murder'
Complaints about marker pen ink removal during Maharashtra civic polls raise concerns of repeat voting; 3.48 crore voters are eligible, State Election Commission vows strict action.
- Thursday's civic polls across 29 municipal corporations saw voters allege marker pens, not indelible ink, were applied, with photos from Nagpur Municipal Corporation polling station circulating the same day.
- The SEC noted marker pens have been used since 2011, and tests showed marks could be erased with sanitiser or toner, with bottles seized from a BJP office in Pune.
- Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said he will probe complaints and instructed officials to use ink that adheres to skin, while Raj Thackeray, MNS chief, Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena chief, and Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant alleged the ink could be wiped off.
- The State Election Commission warned that erasing ink is an offence and urged returning officers to check names and addresses carefully, saying voting records prevent repeat voting and legal action will follow.
- With 3.48 crore voters across 29 municipal corporations, allegations of bogus voting and missing names could impact the vote count scheduled for Friday.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Maharashtra civic polls clocks 50 pc turnout
Mumbai: Around 50 per cent polling was recorded in Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra on Thursday, January 15, amid a major controversy over claims that the ink applied on voters’ fingers could be easily removed. Speaking shortly after voting ended at 5.30 pm, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said the turnout in the 29 civic bodies was in the 46-50 per cent range. The exact polling figures will be declared later…
'It’s Like I Didn’t Vote': Markers Instead of Ink Raise Concerns in BMC Polls
BMC Elections: Voters across the state have raised similar complaints marker pens being used to mark their fingers instead of the traditional indelible ink. The State Election Commission has dismissed claims this could compromise the voting process.
Uddhav Thackeray Slams Maharashtra Civic Polls as 'Democracy Murder'
Uddhav Thackeray Slams Maharashtra Civic Polls as 'Democracy Murder' In a bold accusation, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday claimed irregularities in the Maharashtra civic polls, calling the process a ''murder'' of democracy.Thackeray, the former chief minister, urged for the suspension of the State Election Commissioner, following suspicions of misconduct in the municipal corporation elections, with voting happening on Thursda…
'Why marker pens in BMC polls?' Voters, opposition complain 'indelible' ink getting erased, CM responds
Poll body releases statement saying that it is wrong to erase ink & confuse voters. Fadnavis, meanwhile, says some people were preparing to blame something for the poll results.
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