Akhtar siblings Farhan and Zoya cast their precious vote, show off ink on their fingers

The brother and sister voted and posed for photographers, proudly showing off their inked fingers to encourage others to participate in the democratic process. Their actions are aimed at motivating voters to come forward and exercise their right to vote.

Other celebrities who arrived early to vote included Akshay Kumar, RajKummar Rao and Kabir Khan, underscoring the importance of the election.

Voting for the single-phase Maharashtra Assembly elections started at 7 am and will end at 6 pm. Voting is underway in 288 parliamentary constituencies, with 4,136 candidates vying for seats. Among them, 2,086 are independent candidates. The political landscape is fragmented, with major players such as the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress contesting elections in a highly competitive environment.

The BJP is contesting in 149 seats, the Shiv Sena in 81 seats, the National Conference in 59 seats, while the Congress has fielded 101 candidates. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) are also involved, along with other smaller parties such as the BSP, which is contesting on 237 seats. The total number of registered voters in Maharashtra is approximately Rs 97 crore.

Extensive security measures are in place to ensure a smooth voting process. Mumbai Police has deployed over 25,000 personnel, including riot squads and home guards. The police force is working hard to maintain law and order and ensure peace on election day.

Political competition in Maharashtra is characterized by shifting alliances, ideological battles and complex caste dynamics. The main contest is between the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayutthir alliance (including the Ajit Pawar faction of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP) versus the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi ( MVA) (including the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Communist Party of India). NCP (Sharad Pawar Party).

The 2019 election results showed that the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena won 56 seats, and the Congress won 44 seats; in 2014, the BJP won 122 seats, and the Shiv Sena won 44 seats. Of the 63 seats, the Congress won 42 seats. This election will play an important role in India’s general elections. Shaping the future political landscape of Maharashtra.