Mumbai, Jan 15 (NationPress) During the ongoing Maharashtra local polls on Thursday, a senior citizen, who has lived in the area for over 60 years, expressed his dissatisfaction with the voting process directly to actress-politician Hema Malini.

While Hema Malini spoke to the media after casting her vote, an elderly resident approached her, stating: 'I am a senior citizen. I have been living in this area for the past 60 years. There is chaos like never before. I have been trying to vote since 7:30 a.m. and only managed to cast my vote by 9:30 a.m. No one is answerable. No one is accountable.'

He reiterated: 'I am a senior citizen. I have been living in this area for the past 60 years.'

Hema was then seen urging Mumbai residents to exercise their right to vote in the ongoing Maharashtra local body polls, emphasizing that civic participation is vital for enhancing the quality of life in the city.

After casting her vote, Hema Malini remarked, 'I urge everyone in Mumbai to come out and vote. I arrived early in the morning to participate. This is extremely important for every citizen. If we desire security, progress, clean air, and clear roads in Mumbai, we must all take responsibility.'

The actress-politician emphasized, 'Everyone must be responsible and come out to vote.'

'Only by exercising our right to vote can Mumbai become the best city globally. It can improve, and for that, we need your support. I encourage all citizens of Mumbai to vote for the right candidates.'

When asked about her vision for Mumbai's progress, Hema Malini responded, 'Considering how the parties operate, what progress remains in Mumbai? If someone wins, they will work. I just mentioned that for clean air, clear roads, security, and development, your support is essential. Only with your backing will these changes happen.'

Polling for the 29 municipal corporations kicked off at 7:30 a.m. and will conclude at 5:30 p.m. Originally, elections were set for 2,869 seats, including 227 in the BMC; however, voting is now being held for 2,801 seats since 68 candidates were elected unopposed. Voting will not occur for these uncontested positions. A total of 3.48 crore voters will determine the fate of 15,931 candidates, with 1,729 candidates from Mumbai alone. The counting of votes is scheduled for January 16.

The State Election Commission indicated that arrangements have been established across 39,147 polling stations, equipped with 43,958 Control Units and 87,916 Ballot Units. In Mumbai, there are 10,111 polling stations with 11,349 Control Units and 22,698 Ballot Units.

Municipal elections are taking place in major cities including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, Solapur, Kolhapur, Amravati, Akola, Latur, Jalgaon, Dhule, Jalna, Chandrapur, Parbhani, Nanded-Waghala, Panvel, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Malegaon, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Ichalkaranji, Ahilyanagar, and Ulhasnagar.