Bollywood siblings Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar were among the early voters in Mumbai as they stepped out on Monday morning to cast their votes in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Accompanied by their mother, Honey Irani, the Akhtar siblings patiently waited in line at their designated polling booth in Mumbai, proudly displaying their indelible ink-stained fingers after voting.
The voting process in Mumbai is part of the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, which includes six constituencies in the city. Apart from Farhan and Zoya Akhtar, actor Akshay Kumar also exercised his franchise at a polling booth in Mumbai, urging people to go out and vote for the development and strength of India.
Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second largest state in terms of parliamentary constituencies after Uttar Pradesh. The ongoing Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1, with the results scheduled to be declared on June 4.
In the fifth phase of voting, over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5409 third-gender electors, will decide the fate of 695 candidates. The phase will witness key contests in various constituencies, with prominent leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, and others vying for electoral success.
Security measures have been heightened across polling stations in the eight states/UTs going to polls in the fifth phase to ensure a peaceful voting atmosphere for the electors. With a significant number of voters turning up to cast their votes, the fate of the candidates in the fray will soon be decided as the electoral process progresses.