Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 20 : Veteran lyricist Gulzar and his daughter, film director Meghna Gulzar, arrived at a polling booth in Mumbai on Wednesday to cast their vote in the Maharashtra Assembly elections that got underway this morning.
Speaking to media persons after casting her vote, Meghna urged citizens to step out and take voting seriously.
"Six months ago, we stepped out for the country; now we have stepped out for our state. Voting is your responsibility as well as your right. If you don't fulfil your responsibility, you have no right to complain," Meghna said.
Voting for the single-phase Maharashtra assembly elections began at 7 am and will conclude at 6 pm today. Polling is taking place across 288 assembly constituencies.
Ahead of the elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to vote via his official account on social media platform X. "Today, votes will be cast for all the seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. I urge the voters of the state to participate with full enthusiasm and add to the splendour of this festival of democracy. On this occasion, I appeal to all the youth and women voters to come out in large numbers to vote," PM Modi posted on X.
The primary contest is between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction), while the opposition MVA comprises the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and the Congress won 44. In 2014, the BJP claimed 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.
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