Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and his wife joined millions of citizens in Mumbai on Monday to cast their votes during the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Rahane took to his official social media handle to share a picture of himself and his wife flaunting their inked fingers after fulfilling their civic duty.
Rahane captioned the photo, “We did our duty. Have you?” urging others to vote. His post joined those of many celebrities promoting voter participation. Earlier, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was one of the early voters in Mumbai. After voting, Kumar told the media he wants India to be strong and developed and believes voter turnout will be good.
Actor Randeep Hooda highlighted the importance of voting, saying, “In a democracy, voting lets you decide your future and your country’s future. You must vote…Take part in this festival of democracy and vote.”
The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections is crucial in the seven-phase process, with many measures in place to ensure safe and smooth voting. Elections are happening in six Mumbai seats: Mumbai North, North West, North East, North Central, South, and South Central. Other Maharashtra constituencies voting in this phase include Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi, and Thane. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second most after Uttar Pradesh.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections, running from April 19 to June 1, are held in seven phases. Results will be announced on June 4. Voting starts at 7 am and ends at 6 pm, with anyone in line by closing time allowed to vote. Over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore men, 4.26 crore women, and 5,409 third-gender electors, will choose among 695 candidates in this phase.