Rahul Gandhi Resumes Criticism Of The Election Commission Amid BMC Vote Counting, Says ‘EC Is Gaslighting…’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday morning wakes up to criticise the Election Commission of India (ECI) over allegations related to the indelible ink used in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

His remarks came after leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) claimed that the ink applied on voters' fingers could be easily wiped off.

Sharing an article on social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of misleading citizens. He said that such actions weaken public trust in democracy and described alleged vote manipulation as an anti-national act.

Claims by Thackeray Cousins Spark Controversy

The controversy began after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray raised questions about the ink used during voting. They alleged that instead of the traditional indelible ink, marker pens were used in the BMC polls.

According to them, the ink could be removed using sanitiser or nail polish remover, raising fears that some voters could cast their vote more than once. The leaders also pointed to what they called administrative lapses during the election process.

BJP Responds, Accuses Rahul Gandhi of Misinformation

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly reacted to Rahul Gandhi's statements. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused him of spreading false information and attempting to discredit the election process even before the final results.

Poonawalla claimed that Gandhi was accepting defeat in advance and repeating allegations made by opposition leaders without proof. He also questioned similar claims made earlier by Gandhi in other elections, asking what outcome they had led to.

Election Commission Clarifies Ink Usage

Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare responded to the allegations, saying there had been no change in the quality of the ink. He clarified that the same indelible ink has been used in elections since 2011, but this time it was applied using a marker-style pen.

Waghmare said the ink cannot be easily erased and accused some leaders of trying to create confusion among voters. He added that strict legal action would be taken against anyone attempting to remove the ink and vote again.

Chief Minister Weighs In as Counting Continues

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also addressed the issue after casting his vote. Making a light remark, he showed his ink mark and questioned claims that it could be wiped off easily. He said the Election Commission should examine the matter and explore alternatives if needed.

Meanwhile, the counting of votes for the BMC elections began on Friday at 10 am across 23 counting centres in Mumbai. Early trends showed the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance holding an advantage over the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS.

The final results will determine who controls the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Asia's richest civic body.