'Increase taxes': Paresh Rawal suggests punishment for people who do not cast vote

Paresh Rawal

The city of Mumbai has gone into polling during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections. Prominent personalities from the city have been seen since morning arriving to cast their vote. 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.

The senior actor also said that there must be some kind of punishment imposed on people who skip 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, Kunal Kemmu, Neha Dhupia, Rajkummar 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.

(with inputs from ANI)