Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 20 : Veteran actor Prem Chopra cast his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai on Wednesday, praising the arrangements made by the authorities for the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly elections. Despite having the option to vote from home, Chopra chose to vote in person.
After casting his vote, he said, "The arrangements at the polling booth are very nice... Even though I had the option of voting from home, I still came here to cast my vote like everyone else."
Meanwhile, Salim Khan and Salma Khan, the parents of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, were also seen casting their votes in the city amidst tight security. Salman's brother, Sohail Khan, also participated in the electoral process.
After voting, Sohail shared his thoughts with the media. The youngest of the Khan brother trio said, "I am a Bandra boy... whoever gets selected, I wish he loves Bandra as we all Bandrahites love Bandra... We hope a good politician comes. It's a responsibility to vote, and I request everyone to come and vote."
The Bollywood fraternity's participation didn't stop there, with renowned filmmakers and actors such as Subhash Ghai, Rakesh Roshan, Raveena Tandon, and Akshay Kumar also casting their votes. Other celebrities, including Sonu Sood, Rajkummar Rao, Ritesh Deshmukh, Genelia, and Ali Fazal, voted early and urged citizens to actively participate in the election.
The Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 saw a significant turnout from Bollywood stars, with prominent figures like Prem Chopra, Anupam Kher, Sohail Khan, and Salman Khan's parents exercising their democratic rights.
The single-phase elections began at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm across 288 constituencies. A total of 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independents, are contesting for seats in the state's legislative assembly.
The key players in the race are the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), contesting 149 seats along with its allies Shiv Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
To ensure a smooth and peaceful voting process, more than 25,000 police personnel have been deployed across Mumbai and other parts of the state, including riot-control teams and home guards. High-traffic areas like Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar and Dharavi are seeing heightened vehicle checks as authorities remain vigilant to prevent any untoward incidents.
The Maharashtra elections are proving to be a fiercely contested affair, with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance facing off against the MVA.
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