Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was among the early voters to exercise his franchise at a polling booth in Mumbai, as the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra commenced on Monday. Dressed in a green shirt and blue pants, the “Hera Pheri” star made his way to the polling station early in the morning. After casting his vote, Kumar addressed the media, stating, “I want my India to be developed and strong. I voted keeping that in mind. India should vote for what they deem is right… I think the voter turnout will be good.”
#WATCH | Actor Akshay Kumar shows the indelible ink mark on his finger after casting his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai. He says, “…I want my India to be developed and strong. I voted keeping that in mind. India should vote for what they deem is right…I think voter… pic.twitter.com/mN9C9dlvRD
Kumar was brimming with optimism and emphasized the importance of participating in the democratic process. “I think this time more people will come to cast their vote. I came early at 7 am and the polling booth was open. I saw almost 500-600 people were in attendance,” he added. Joining him in the early morning voting spree were Bollywood siblings Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, who also exercised their right to vote amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
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Elections in six Lok Sabha seats of Mumbai are underway for Phase 5. The seats are Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South Central. Other constituencies in Maharashtra participating in the fifth phase include Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi, and Thane.
Maharashtra boasts 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second largest tally after Uttar Pradesh. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections, held in seven phases stretching from April 19 to June 1, will have their results declared on June 4. The voting started at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with those in line by the closing time still permitted to vote.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5409 third-gender electors, will determine the fate of 695 candidates in this pivotal fifth phase of the election. The fifth phase will witness key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya are vying for electoral success.
Eight states/Union Territories are voting in phase 5: Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Of the 49 Lok Sabha seats in this phase, 14 are from Uttar Pradesh, 13 from Maharashtra, 7 from West Bengal, 5 from Bihar, 3 from Jharkhand, 5 from Odisha, and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
In a concerted effort to create a peaceful voting environment, a total of 2,000 flying squads, 2,105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams are maintaining round-the-clock vigilance across the 94,732 polling stations.
The Election Commission has taken extensive measures to ensure free and fair elections, which are characterized by heightened security and technological interventions. These include the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which are being monitored closely to ensure transparency and accountability.
In addition to the Bollywood celebrities, ordinary citizens also turned up at polling booths with enthusiasm and determination. The increased responsiveness among voters is being viewed as a positive sign for a robust democracy. The Election Commission’s awareness campaigns seem to have made a significant impact, encouraging more people to participate in the electoral process.
As the day progresses, political analysts and journalists will be closely observing voter turnout and patterns, which could provide early indications of the electoral mood. The participation of prominent figures like Akshay Kumar and others is expected to inspire many more citizens to cast their ballots in the remaining phases of the election.
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