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As the 5th phase of the Lok Sabha elections got underway, actor Anita Raj cast her vote at a polling booth in Mumbai and displayed the indelible ink mark on her finger as a symbol of her civic duty.
However, her act was not merely symbolic; it was accompanied by a call to action. Concerned over the low voter turnout in Maharashtra, Anita Raj urged citizens to exercise their democratic duty, emphasizing the significance of voting in the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections. "We are all responsible citizens of this country. I have come to know that the voter turnout is low. Don't be lazy. Step out and vote, it is very important," she urged, echoing the sentiment of civic responsibility. The Election Commission of India (ECI) reported a meagre 10.28% voter turnout across 49 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories (UTs) during the fifth phase of polling on May 20. Maharashtra, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, recorded a turnout of only 6.33% till 9 am, raising concerns about voter apathy in the state. Joining Anita Raj in exercising their electoral rights were several Bollywood personalities, including Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, Rajkumar Rao, and Janhvi Kapoor, who were spotted at their respective polling booths in Mumbai. The constituencies in Mumbai, including Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South Central, were part of the electoral battleground for Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Additionally, constituencies like Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi, and Thane in Maharashtra participated in this phase. The ongoing Lok Sabha elections are being conducted in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. The fifth phase witnessed over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5409 third-gender electors, casting their ballots to decide the fate of 695 candidates. Key contests in this phase feature prominent leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya. To ensure a peaceful voting environment, extensive security measures have been implemented across the polling stations in the eight states and UTs participating in Phase 5. With 2,000 flying squads, 2105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams maintaining round-the-clock vigilance, the Election Commission aims to facilitate a smooth and secure voting process. (ANI)
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