Politics: BJP Alliance Leads Early BMC Trends as Marker Ink Row Sparks Fresh Political Clash

As vote counting continues for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, early trends from the first batch of 46 wards show the BJP-led alliance maintaining a clear lead. According to the latest figures, the BJP alliance is ahead in 27 wards, followed by the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) in 13, the Congress alliance in five, and one ward going to others. These numbers are trends, not final results, as counting is being conducted in phases of 46 wards. Alongside the counting, a political controversy has resurfaced over the use of marker ink instead of traditional indelible ink during voting. The issue was first raised by Uddhav Thackeray, who alleged the possibility of bogus voting, claiming that marker ink could be erased. The allegation was strongly denied by the Eknath Shinde faction, which questioned why a formal complaint was not lodged with the Election Commission. The controversy gained further momentum after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi echoed concerns over “vote theft,” targeting both the BJP and the Election Commission. Election officials and ruling alliance leaders, however, have maintained that the voting process remains secure and transparent. Officials have clarified that postal ballot counting has concluded and EVM counting is now underway, which explains earlier fluctuations in numbers. Final results for all 227 wards are expected later in the evening, as counting progresses batch by batch.

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