Porni Banerjee | ২০ মে ২০২৪ ১২ : ৫০

Voting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections have begun on Monday morning, with polling ongoing in 49 constituencies across six states, including Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, along with two union territories.

While Maharashtra is witnessing a huge tug-of-war between parties, several celebrities have already cast their votes as they flaunted their inked fingers. Bollywood actors including Jahnvi Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar and filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Kunal Kohli have cast their vote at their respective polling stations.

Additionally, actor Akshay Kumar had cast his vote for the first time after he gained his Indian citizenship. Prominent personalities, including Union Minister Piyush Goyal, and industrialist Anil Ambani also exercised their franchise in the early hours in the fifth phase in Mumbai.

Actor Paresh Rawal and RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and his family also proudly flaunted their inked fingers after casting their votes.

Meanwhile political figures, including BJP leader Smriti Irani and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati from Amethi and Lucknow respective cast their votes and emphasized political parties to prioritize public interest issues.

The fifth phase has in fray a total of 695 candidates including key candidates Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The seats going to polls include 13 in Maharashtra, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, seven in West Bengal, five in Bihar, three in Jharkhand, five in Odisha, one in Jammu and Kashmir, and the lone seat in Ladakh.

As per the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout App, a voter turnout of 23.66 percent has been recorded till 11 am in phase 5, with the highest polling percentage witnessed in West Bengal and lowest in Maharashtra.