Paresh Rawal casts vote in Mumbai, suggests punishment for "those who don't vote"

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 20 (ANI): As the voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections got underway, veteran Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal exercised his democratic duty by casting his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai on Monday morning.
Rawal was among the early voters for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
After casting his vote, Rawal interacted with the media, emphasizing the importance of participating in elections. "Then you will say, government doesn't do this, doesn't do that... If you will not vote today, then you will be responsible, not the government," Rawal stated, urging citizens to take responsibility for their civic duties.
Rawal also suggested implementing penalties for those who abstain from voting. "There should be some provisions for those who don't vote, like an increase in tax or some other punishment," he added.
Earlier in the day, several Bollywood celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, Rajkumar Rao, and Janhvi Kapoor, were also seen at their respective polling booths in Mumbai, demonstrating their commitment to the democratic process.
The fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections is a critical part of the seven-phase electoral process, with extensive arrangements made to ensure a smooth and secure voting experience for all citizens.
Elections in six Lok Sabha seats of Mumbai are underway for Phase 5 of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024.
The constituencies voting today include Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South Central.
Additionally, other constituencies in Maharashtra participating in this phase include Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi, and Thane.
Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest state in terms of parliamentary constituencies after Uttar Pradesh.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being conducted in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1.
The counting of votes and the declaration of results are scheduled for June 4. Voting commenced at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with voters in line by the closing time still allowed to 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 fifth phase.
The fifth phase is witnessing key contests in various constituencies, featuring prominent 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.
Eight states and Union Territories (UTs) going to the polls in phase 5 include Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Of the 49 Lok Sabha seats contested in this phase, 14 are from Uttar Pradesh, 13 from Maharashtra, 7 from West Bengal, 5 from Bihar, 3 from Jharkhand, 5 from Odisha, and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
To ensure a peaceful voting environment, a total of 2,000 flying squads, 2105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance across the 94,732 polling stations.
The Election Commission has implemented these extensive security measures to facilitate a smooth and secure voting process. (ANI)