Maharashtra Elections: Salman Khan casts his vote amid high security in Mumbai

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 20 (ANI): Amid high security, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan arrived at a polling booth in Mumbai to cast his vote in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The superstar was seen donning a grey t-shirt, jeans, and a cap.

He reached the polling booth to cast his vote.

Earlier on October 24, Mumbai Police arrested a man from Jamshedpur who had threatened Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore.

The Mumbai Police registered a case against an unknown person and started an investigation after Mumbai Traffic Police received a threatening message.

Earlier on October 21, the Mumbai police received an apology from the same sender who threatened Khan on October 18, stating that the message was “sent by mistake.”

The initial threat message was sent to the number of Mumbai Traffic Police’s control room on October 18.

Earlier in the day, Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, was among the prominent figures who stepped out to cast his vote in Mumbai.

Accompanied by his wife, Salma Khan, the veteran screenwriter made his way to the polling booth on Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by a team of bodyguards.

In the videos, Salim Khan, who is known for his decades-long contribution to the Indian film industry, was seen walking with the assistance of aides into the polling booth.

His wife, Sushila, followed suit, and both showed their inked fingers after successfully casting their votes.

The couple’s outing at the polling booth was one of many that saw celebrities from the entertainment world exercising their democratic right.

Later, Salman’s brother, actor Sohail Khan also arrived to cast his ballot.

After casting his vote, he said, “I am a Bandra boy… whoever gets selected I wish he loves Bandra as we all Bandrahites love Bandra.. We hope a good politician comes… It’s a responsibility to vote and I request everyone to come and vote.”

Meanwhile, Maharashtra has recorded a sluggish voter turnout of 58.22 per cent in the single-phase assembly elections. On the other hand, a turnout of 67.59 per cent was registered in the second phase of assembly polls in Jharkhand as of 5 pm, according to the Election Commission of India.

The Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 are being held across 288 constituencies in a single-phase poll, with voting starting at 7 am and concluding at 6 pm.

The state is witnessing fierce competition, with a total of 4,136 candidates vying for seats, including 2,086 independent contenders.

Among the political factions in the race, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is contesting 149 seats, has formed an alliance with Shiv Sena and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). They are up against the opposition, comprising the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), is aiming to reclaim ground in the state’s political landscape.