Lok Sabha Elections 2024: South actors like Fahadh Faasil, Yash, Tovino Thomas, Kiccha Sudeep and others were seen casting their vote
Tovino Thomas and Prakash Raj
Voting for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 began at 7:00 am on Friday across 88 Parliamentary Constituencies spread over 12 States and Union Territories. 89 general observers, 53 police Observers and 109 expenditure observers have been deployed in the regions.
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As all of the 20 constituencies in Kerala went to polling, several prominent actors were seen casting their vote. Film actor and producer Tovino Thomas on Friday cast his vote at a polling booth in Irinjalakuda, Thrissur. The 'Minnal Murali' actor is also the state brand ambassador for the Election Commission's SWEEP (Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation) program. He cast his vote at the Government Girls Higher Secondary school in Irinjalakkuda.
#WATCH | Kerala: Film actor and producer Tovino Thomas casts his vote in the Lok Sabha polls, at a polling booth in Iringalakuda, Thrissur.
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2024
He is also the state brand ambassador for the Election Commission's SWEEP (Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation) program… pic.twitter.com/W8RIeQuLEz
Actor Fahadh Faasil was also seen stepping out to cast his vote. He voted at a booth near the district collector's residence in Alappuzha.
VIDEO | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Malayali Actor Fahadh Faasil casts his vote in Alappuzha, Kerala.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 26, 2024
Polling is underway in 88 constituencies across 13 states and Union territories in the second phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024.#LSPolls2024WithPTI #LokSabhaElections2024… pic.twitter.com/S5SGllTYaP
Besides them, prominent actors, including Sreenivasan and Renji Panicker, as well as church heads like Major Archbishop of the influential Syro-Malabar Church Raphael Thattil and Cardinal George Alencherry also voted in the morning.
Kerala will decide the fate of 194 candidates. Of the 20 constituencies in Kerala going to polls, two seats -Alathur and Mavelikara- are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. The key candidates in Kerala are, Wayanad: Congress leader and sitting MP Rahul Gandhi is recontesting against Annie Raja of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Both of them are part of the national INDIA bloc but are rivals in the state.
Apart from 20 constituencies in Kerala, 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, six in Madhya Pradesh, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one each in Tripura, Manipur, and Jammu & Kashmir are voting today.
Actor Kiccha Sudeep cast his vote in Bengaluru. He also spoke to the media about the importance of voting and how it is the duty of every eligible citizen.
#LokSabhaElections2024 | "It is a big day. Voting is a hope, not an assurance. The problems are rising in our country. Now, the request should not be for people to come out to vote but for the political leaders for whom we are voting,"says Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep after he… pic.twitter.com/iBsiQN6Inf
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2024
Actor Yash also cast his vote in Bengaluru.
#WATCH | Karnataka: Actor Yash cast his vote at a polling booth in Hoskerehalli, Bengaluru.#LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/nc6qH6z7Na
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2024
Actor Prakash Raj, a known critic of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, cast his vote in Bengaluru amid polling for the second phase on Friday. The actor, clad in a red printed shirt and white trousers, arrived at his designated polling station in Bengaluru to get his finger inked.
#WATCH | Karnataka: Actor Prakash Raj casts his vote at a polling station in Bengaluru.
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2024
Karnataka is voting on 14 seats today in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections.#LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/AzghrtGPPS
Speaking to media persons after casting his vote, the actor, who is not only a prominent face in the South film industry but also made character appearances in several Bollywood hits, said, "My vote is my right. It gives me the power to choose who will represent me, be my voice in Parliament. It is very important that you vote for a candidate you believe in. And, I voted for the candidate I believe in, the manifesto that promised change from the divisive and hate politics we have seen in the last decade."
The Lok Sabha election is being held in seven phases till June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4.
(with inputs from ANI)