Celebrities like cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and bigwigs of India Inc Anil Ambani and Adi Godrej on Wednesday led the way by exercising their franchise in the early hours of voting for the Maharashtra Assembly polls, but a majority of Mumbaikars were no in mood in follow their suit. like in the past, the voter turnout in Mumbai was extremely discouraging.
Anywhere from 50 to 52 per cent of the total 1,02,10,422 voters in Mumbai turned out to vote in 36 Assembly constituencies spread across Mumbai. Though the voter turn-out was nearly five per cent more than the 46.1 per cent voter turn-out in the 2009 Assembly polls, Wednesday’s polling percentage in Mumbai paled in the face of a most encouraging 65.6 per cent voter turnout witnessed in the Delhi Assembly polls in 2013.
So much so that Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan took upon himself to remind the Mumbaikars about the importance of a “vote” through a tweet: “'Vote' comes from the latin word “Votum,” which translates as “vow, wish, promise, or dedication. Go Vote!... Be a responsible citizen of the nation — Go Vote !,” the Big-B urged the voters.
On a day when prominent political leaders, including NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Thackeray cousins – Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray and a host of leaders voted in Mumbai, exhortations made by celebrities, NGOs and the Election Commission about the need for casting their votes fell on the deaf ears half the population in Mumbai.
“Every citizen must vote. Your opinion matters. I urge all to vote. It is really important for our nation,” Tendulkar said after exercising franchise. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan said the citizens should vote if they want the city, state and country the way it should be. "Everybody should come and vote. I am not the one to pass a judgement why people come out and do not come out to vote. People may have good enough reasons for not voting, although I personally feel that there is no good enough reason for not voting," SRK said.
His contemporary, Salman Khan, too said that one needed to exercise his franchise. "People out on picnics right now, enjoying this day as a holiday, are the ones who complain later on," the actor said. “It is essential that we vote,” said veteran actor Anupam Kher. Writer and poet Javed Akhtar said: “It is our duty to vote....There are several countries where people do not have this right...we have got the right and we must use it.
“It is essential that we must vote,” added Ranbir Kapoor. Actress Rekha and actress-politicians Hema Malini. Kirron Kher and Jaya Bachchan too voted in Mumbai. After voting, actress Sonali Bendre said the citizens needed better infrastructure in the metropolis. "We love the city.. Come on Mumbaikars step out and vote."