Mumbai, Jan 15 (NationPress) As the voting process is currently taking place across Maharashtra for the elections to 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a host of Bollywood stars, such as Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sonali Bendre, and Bhagyashree, made their appearance to fulfill their civic duty.

Sonali was joined by her husband Goldie Behl and their son, Ranbir, proudly showcasing their inked fingers after casting their votes.

Meanwhile, Bhagyashree was spotted displaying her inked finger after participating in the voting process, and she engaged with reporters outside the polling station.

While discussing the current state of Mumbai, Bhagyashree highlighted the urgent necessity to tackle pollution and road conditions.

“The level of pollution is quite alarming, and numerous roads are currently under construction. This situation not only leads to significant traffic congestion and inconvenience but also impacts people's ability to reach their workplaces on time, causing numerous accidents. It is crucial for this work to be expedited,” she expressed.

Regarding voter turnout, Bhagyashree encouraged the public to utilize the holiday to exercise their democratic rights.

She stated: “Many individuals may think that since it’s a holiday, they can afford to wake up later. However, I believe voting will see an increase after people have had their meals and taken some rest. Then, they will consider heading out to fulfill their responsibilities.”

“So my request is… yes, it’s a holiday, enjoy your sleep, wake up, eat a good meal, and then ensure you go out and vote,” she urged.

The polling process for the 29 municipal corporations commenced at 7:30 a.m. and is set to conclude at 5:30 p.m. As stated by the State Election Commission, extensive arrangements have been made at 39,147 polling stations, equipped with 43,958 Control Units and 87,916 Ballot Units. In Mumbai alone, there are 10,111 polling stations with 11,349 Control Units and 22,698 Ballot Units.

Originally, elections were planned for 2,869 seats, including 227 seats within the BMC. However, polling is now being conducted for 2,801 seats, as 68 candidates were elected unopposed, meaning no voting will occur for these uncontested positions. A total of 3.48 crore voters will determine the fate of 15,931 candidates, including 1,729 candidates in Mumbai. The counting of votes is scheduled for January 16.

Elections are being conducted in municipal corporations across major cities such as 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.