November 20, 2024: Actor-politician Hema Malini and her daughter, actress Esha Deol, were seen at the Jamnabai International School polling booth in Mumbai, where they cast their votes for the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Both celebrities emphasized the importance of voting and encouraged citizens to fulfill their civic duty.
Hema Malini addressed the media, urging people to step out and vote, stating, “I have come here to cast my vote. I request all citizens to come out and vote. It is your duty to vote for the future of the country.” Her daughter Esha Deol added, “I am here today obviously to vote and I think it’s important for everyone to step out. Everyone’s polling booths are close to their homes, so you just need to take that little time instead of sitting later and trying to cry about it.”
Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan was also spotted at the same polling station, casting his vote alongside Hema Malini and Esha Deol.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are being held in a single phase, with voting starting at 7 am and concluding at 6 pm. A total of 288 assembly constituencies are participating in the election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier appealed to citizens, especially the youth and women, to participate in the elections, calling it a “festival of democracy.”
The primary contest in these elections is between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which comprises the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP.
In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP secured 105 seats, Shiv Sena won 56, and the Congress obtained 44 seats. In 2014, the BJP claimed 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and Congress 42.
