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The ongoing civic elections in Maharashtra are witnessing several B-town celebrities stepping out to vote on Thursday and encouraging citizens to take part in the democratic process.
Veteran actor and comedian Johnny Lever, along with his son Jessy Lever, was seen arriving at a polling station to cast his vote. After voting, Johnny Lever spoke about the importance of participating in elections. Emphasising how "important" voting is and calling it a "right" of every citizen, he told ANI, "Voting is important. Everyone should vote. Voting is everyone's right." Film director Subhash Ghai was also spotted at a polling booth as he exercised his right to vote. Speaking about his deep bond with the city and how proud he feels of Maharashtra, Ghai talked about his duty toward Mumbai. While speaking to ANI, he said, "I have voted, and I am very proud of Maharashtra... Whatever I am today is because of Mumbai, so it is my duty, and everyone's duty, to come out and vote..." Actor Manava Naik was another celebrity who cast her vote during the BMC elections. After voting, she spoke about how voting is the "most important thing" and also shared her concerns about issues like pollution in the city. While speaking to ANI, she said, "I have cast my vote today. This is the most important thing to do today. Mumbai is one of the most important cities in India, and I think we need to do something about the pollution here..." Polling is being held across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, covering major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The elections come after a long and active campaign and are seen as crucial for urban governance in the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena are contesting the polls together under the Mahayuti banner in most places, except Pune. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is contesting alone in several corporations, while in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, both NCP factions have come together with a joint manifesto. As per the State Election Commission, about 3.48 crore voters are eligible to vote in these elections. A total of 15,908 candidates are in the fray for 2,869 seats across 893 wards. To ensure smooth polling, 39,092 polling centers have been set up across Maharashtra. Voting began at 7:30 am on Thursday, January 15, and will continue until 5:30 pm. The counting of votes is scheduled for Friday, January 16. (ANI)
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