New Delhi: Parents-to-be Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh stepped out to cast their votes in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The Bollywood power couple, twinning in white, radiated joy as they arrived at the polling booth in Mumbai.

Deepika, beaming with her pregnancy glow, donned an oversized white shirt and light blue denim, her baby bump subtly visible, while Ranveer complemented her in a matching white ensemble. The duo’s appearance was met with cheers and camera flashes as shutterbugs clicked them while embodying the spirit of civic responsibility. Ranveer opened the door for his wifey and held her hand throughout to avoid the crowd.  

Joining the electoral fervour was veteran actor Anupam Kher, who emphasized the importance of voting. “Today is the festival of democracy, and we should come out and vote to elect our government for the next five years,” Kher remarked to ANI after casting his vote.

He further stressed, “If you won’t vote today, then you don’t have any right to complain about anything about the government for the next five years.”

The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai saw several prominent figures from Bollywood fulfilling their civic duties. Earlier in the day, veteran star Dharmendra was spotted casting his vote at the Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu.

Other stars, including Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, RajKummar Rao, and Janhvi Kapoor, were also seen at various polling booths across the city.

This phase of the elections covers six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai: Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South Central.

Additionally, constituencies in Maharashtra like Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi, and Thane are also participating.

Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest state in terms of parliamentary constituencies after Uttar Pradesh. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections, conducted in seven phases from April 19 to June 1, have been marked by significant voter engagement. 

The final results are scheduled to be announced on June 4. 

Voting began at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, ensuring that all voters in line by the closing time can cast their ballots.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5409 third-gender electors, will decide the fate of 695 candidates in this crucial phase.

The fifth phase features key contests in various constituencies, with notable leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya.

To ensure a peaceful voting environment, the Election Commission has deployed extensive security measures, including 2,000 flying squads, 2105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams. These teams are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance across 94,732 polling stations, ensuring a smooth and secure voting process.

As the day progresses, the enthusiastic participation of voters continues.