Actor Amir Khan casts his vote in Mumbai
Mumbai is voting today in its six Lok Sabha seats, but many of its most famous citizens are missing in action. They are away in the US for an award ceremony.
That includes actors like Anil Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapur, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Also former MPs Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar, though son Farhan Akhtar has stayed back to vote.
After casting her vote this morning, actor Vidya Balan said, "Tomorrow if I point a finger at some, there should be this voting mark on my finger." (
In Pics: Celebrities cast their votes)
Actor Aamir Khan voted early along with his wife Kiran Rao. Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, who is celebrating his birthday, cast his vote too. The Bachchan family and Shah Rukh Khan are in Mumbai and are also expected to vote. (
Read: Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vidya Balan, Sonam Kapoor cast their votes)
Lyricist Prasoon Joshi has sharply hit out at the actors who chose to attend the award ceremony over voting. "The nation takes precedence over everything else. I'm going for IIFA too but only after voting... Can't just do armchair criticism, many in Bollywood aren't responsible," he said.
Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, is being watched closely to see if it will improve on its dismal voting figure of 41.5 per cent in 2009.
That year, partners Congress and NCP swept the city winning all six seats. This time, opinion polls just the BJP and its partner Shiv Sena will turn the tables.
The Aam Aadmi Party has added the twist to the tale.
In Mumbai South, union minister Milind Deora of the Congress has been challenged by former banker Meera Sanyal of AAP. In 2009, Ms Sanyal contested as an Independent and lost.
In Mumbai North East, the BJP's Kirit Somaiya, who lost last time by just 3000 odd votes, seems to be the favourite, but social activist Medha Patkar of the AAP is the dark horse.
In Mumbai North Central sitting MP Priya Dutt, daughter of late Congress leader Sunil Dutt takes on Poonam Mahajan, the daughter of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan.