Veteran poet and lyricist Gulzar, along with producer Kiran Rao and singer-actor Junaid Khan, participated in the Maharashtra local body elections by casting their votes. Gulzar, dressed in his traditional white kurta-pyjama, proudly displayed his inked finger after voting, while Kiran Rao and Junaid Khan were also spotted fulfilling their democratic responsibility at the polling booths. Aamir Khan’s former wife Reena Dutta, accompanied by her children Junaid Khan and Ira Khan, also exercised their voting rights.
The polling process for the 29 municipal corporations began at 7:30 a.m. and will continue until 5:30 p.m. The State Election Commission has set up 39,147 polling stations with a total of 43,958 Control Units and 87,916 Ballot Units for the elections. In Mumbai alone, there are 10,111 polling stations equipped with 11,349 Control Units and 22,698 Ballot Units. The elections, initially planned for 2,869 seats, will now be conducted for 2,801 seats due to 68 candidates being elected unopposed.
Actor Maniesh Paul also participated in the voting process and shared a picture on Instagram displaying his inked finger with a message urging the people of Mumbai to cast their votes. A total of 3.48 crore voters will determine the fate of 15,931 candidates, including 1,729 candidates in Mumbai. The results of the elections, involving major cities like Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and others, will be announced on January 16.
