Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 15 : Maharashtra went to the polls for its civic elections on Thursday, January 15, with voting held across 29 municipal corporations in the state. Along with thousands of citizens, several well-known film and television personalities also stepped out to exercise their democratic right. Music composer Anu Malik, veteran actor Surendra Pal, and 'Mukkabaaz' fame Viineet Kumar Siingh were among them.
After casting his vote, Anu Malik said that the voting process was very smooth and that all arrangements were extremely well organised.
"There was absolutely no inconvenience. The checking process was conducted very smoothly, and all arrangements were well organised," he told ANI.
"'Every vote is valuable. The BMC is financially and structurally a very strong body...Important issues like road infrastructure and pollution, which matter to Mumbaikars, should be addressed," Anu Malik added.
Viineet shared that although they had a shoot scheduled, it was kept off so that the entire unit could cast their votes.
" It's extremely important to vote...the decisions taken by those who are elected impact our everyday lives. So everyone should vote," he said.
Speaking to ANI, actor Surendra Pal said, "Voting is our responsibility, and our vote is our real hero. The government should be formed by those who serve the people, work for their welfare, and provide solutions to the problems faced by the public."
In the capital city, Mumbai, voting took place in 227 wards, with approximately 1,700 candidates in the fray. A total of 1,03,44,315 citizens were eligible to vote in the BMC polls.