Mumbai Sees 41.08% Voter Turnout Amid Controversies in BMC Elections
Voter Turnout and Celebrity Participation
As of 3:30 PM, Mumbai recorded a voter turnout of 41.08% in the ongoing BMC elections. Numerous Bollywood celebrities, including Salman Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, and Soumya Tandon, were spotted exercising their voting rights. Meanwhile, Maharashtra's State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare announced an investigation following complaints regarding the indelible ink applied to voters' fingers.
Concerns Over Indelible Ink
Waghmare clarified that claims of the indelible ink being removable with acetone or nail polish are false. He warned that legal action would be taken against anyone attempting to erase the ink or spreading confusion among voters. The indelible ink used on voters' fingers has been in use since 2011 and is produced by a single company, ensuring uniformity in its composition. Once applied, the ink takes 10 to 12 seconds to dry and cannot be removed afterward.
Political Figures and Voting Issues
Several prominent political figures participated in early voting. Maharashtra Minister Ganesh Naik and his family cast their votes at the Bonkod polling station, while former Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra criticized those who failed to vote despite complaints from high-income voters. Leaders from Shiv Sena (UBT), Anand Dubey and Anil Parab, also voted in Mumbai and expressed concerns over technical issues at polling stations. Dubey pointed out flaws on the election commission's website and irregularities in the digital ballot display, while Parab claimed that the election ink could be erased, suggesting potential tampering.
Criticism from Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena UBT and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, harshly criticized the electoral process, citing missing voter names, outdated EVM machines, and irregularities with the ink. He described these incidents as a "blatant attack on democracy" and linked them to broader concerns surrounding the "One Nation, One Election" proposal.