As the fifth phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections kicked off on Monday, May 20, Anil Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Group, emerged early in the morning to fulfill his civic duty. Standing alongside other voters, he patiently awaited his turn at a polling booth in Mumbai.
“Eminent industrialist Anil Ambani stands in a queue at a polling booth in Mumbai, as he waits for the voting to begin,” capturing the essence of his commitment to the democratic process.
This phase of the elections encompasses six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai, namely Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South Central. A total of 695 candidates are vying for victory across 49 constituencies spread across eight states and union territories.
Simultaneously, voting is also underway for 35 Odisha legislative assembly constituencies. The states and union territories participating in this phase include Jharkhand (3), Odisha (5), Uttar Pradesh (14), Bihar (5), Maharashtra (13), West Bengal (7), Ladakh (1), and Jammu and Kashmir (1).
With a staggering 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore male, 4.26 crore female, and 5,409 third-gender voters, nearly 66.95% of whom have already participated, according to the Election Commission, the magnitude of this electoral exercise is evident. Over 9.47 lakh poll workers are deployed across 94,732 polling places to facilitate the smooth conduct of the elections.
The Lok Sabha Elections of 2024 have witnessed over 451 million voters casting their ballots in the initial four stages, highlighting the immense democratic fervor and participation across the country. As Anil Ambani joins his fellow citizens in exercising their electoral rights, the democratic fabric of India continues to strengthen with each vote cast.
