Today marks the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, with people from 49 constituencies across six states and two Union Territories exercising their right to vote. Polling is underway for parliamentary seats in Bihar (5), Jharkhand (3), Maharashtra (13), Odisha (5), Uttar Pradesh (14), West Bengal (7), and the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir (1) and Ladakh (1).
In the midst of polling activities, several Bollywood celebrities were spotted casting their votes in Mumbai, including Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Paresh Rawal, Sunil Shetty, Dharmendra, Varun Dhawan, and David Dhawan.
Key candidates in this phase include Union Ministers Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North), Smriti Irani (Amethi), and Rajnath Singh (Lucknow).
In Maharashtra alone, polling is taking place in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies, including six in Mumbai. Notable BJP candidates include Piyush Goyal, Bharati Pawar (Dindori), and Kapil Patil (Bhiwandi), along with prominent lawyer Ujjwal Nikam (Mumbai North Central).
The Election Commission reports that over 8.95 crore voters, comprising 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5,409 third-gender electors, will participate in this phase to determine the fate of 695 candidates.