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Marker ink row resurfaces as counting continues across Mumbai wards
January 16, 2026: Early trends from the first batch of 46 wards in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections show the BJP-led alliance holding a clear lead as vote counting continues. According to initial figures, the BJP alliance is ahead in 27 wards, followed by the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) in 13 wards, the Congress alliance in five, while one ward has gone to others. Election officials have clarified that these are only trends, as counting is being conducted in phases.
Alongside the counting process, a political controversy has re-emerged over the use of marker ink instead of traditional indelible ink during voting. The issue was first flagged by Uddhav Thackeray, who raised concerns about the possibility of bogus voting, claiming the ink could be erased. The allegation was rejected by the Eknath Shinde faction, which questioned why no formal complaint was filed with the Election Commission. The debate intensified after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated claims of “vote theft,” targeting both the BJP and the poll body.
Election authorities and leaders of the ruling alliance have dismissed the allegations, insisting that the voting and counting processes are secure and transparent. Officials explained that early fluctuations in numbers were due to the completion of postal ballot counting, with EVM counting now underway. Results for all 227 wards are expected later in the evening as counting progresses batch by batch.