Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s parents, Salim Khan and Salma Khan, were spotted at a polling booth in Mumbai as they came out to cast their votes in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections. The celebrity couple joined other Bollywood personalities in exercising their franchise on Monday.
Salman Khan had previously taken to social media to urge people to fulfill their civic duty and vote. In a post on X, the actor emphasized the importance of voting for the betterment of the country. He stated, “I exercise 365 days a year no matter what, and now I’m going to exercise my right to vote on the 20th of May no matter what. So do whatever you want to do man, but go and vote and don’t trouble your Bharat Mata. Bharat Mata ki Jai.”
The voting process on Monday began at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with those in line by the closing time still allowed to cast their votes. Over 8.95 crore voters, including males, females, and third-gender electors, will decide the fate of 695 candidates in the fifth phase of voting.
Key political figures contesting in this phase include Rahul Gandhi, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, and other prominent leaders. The states and union territories participating in phase 5 of the elections are Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
To ensure a peaceful voting environment, a significant number of flying squads, surveillance teams, and video monitoring teams are deployed across the polling stations. The electoral process is crucial in determining the future leadership of the country, and citizens are encouraged to exercise their right to vote.