Mumbai, Jan 16 (NationPress) In response to objections raised by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray regarding the operations of the State Election Commission, especially concerning the use of removable ink, the Shiv Sena firmly denied these claims on Friday, asserting that there is no problem with the ink. The party pointed out that a similar false narrative was propagated during the Lok Sabha elections.

Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande, speaking to IANS, remarked, “This is the same concern that Uddhav Thackeray brought up during the Lok Sabha elections. Back then, a misleading narrative emerged in the initial months. Now, he has adopted a new strategy of conducting press conferences while voting is ongoing. Look at my finger, the ink is clearly visible. I even attempted to remove it yesterday using nail polish remover, but it wouldn’t budge.”

Shiv Sena’s Shaina NC also dismissed the claims, stating, “There is no concern regarding the ink. Once the election results are revealed in a few hours, all excuses from Shiv Sena(UBT) will be rendered invalid. Blaming the Election Commission, EVMs, or making allegations about ink misuse will be entirely unfounded. If those making such assertions had genuinely engaged with the electorate over the last 25 years, the outcome would have favored them.”

On Thursday, Uddhav Thackeray, alongside his family, voted in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. In his media interactions, he vehemently criticized the State Election Commission (SEC), expressing frustration over the matter of 'duplicate' voters and claiming that the ink on voters’ fingers could be easily removed. He questioned the actions of Election Commissioners, officers, and staff during the past nine years since the last Mumbai Municipal Corporation election and demanded accountability for their inaction.

Raj Thackeray also condemned the usage of marker pens instead of traditional ink on voters’ fingers. He questioned whether progress meant “allowing voters to erase ink with sanitiser and vote again.”

The counting process for the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation elections is currently taking place across designated counting centers in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and other significant cities, under strict security.

Initial trends from postal ballots and early EVM counting are emerging. Due to the 'phased counting' method and over 1,700 candidates in Mumbai alone, final official results for many wards may only be announced late in the evening.

The State Election Commission (SEC) reported a commendable turnout, which often indicates a desire for change or reflects a polarized electorate.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation recorded a turnout of 52.94% (with Bhandup at 64.53% and Colaba at 20.88%), Pune (PMC): 54%, Pimpri-Chinchwad (PCMC): 58%, and Kolhapur: 70%.

Elections were initially planned for 2,869 seats, including 227 in the BMC, but were conducted for 2,801 seats as 68 candidates were elected unopposed.

A total of 3.48 crore voters determined the fate of 15,931 candidates, including 1,729 in Mumbai.

The electoral battlegrounds included Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Mumbai, Solapur, Amravati, Akola, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, Ulhasnagar, Thane, Chandrapur, Parbhani, Mira-Bhayandar, Nanded-Waghala, Panvel, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Latur, Malegaon, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Jalgaon, Ahilyanagar, Dhule, Jalna, and Ichalkaranji.