Groom's Civic Commitment: Maharashtra Lok Sabha 2024 Voter Casts Ballot Before Wedding

Voting has commenced for 88 constituencies as part of the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha elections, spanning 13 states and union territories.

These constituencies include all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 out of 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, seven seats in Madhya Pradesh, and five seats each in Assam and Bihar. Additionally, three seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one seat each in Manipur, Tripura, and Jammu and Kashmir are up for polls.

The voting process began at 7 AM and will continue until 5 PM today. However, in certain areas such as Banka, Madhepura, Khagaria, and Munger constituencies in Bihar, polling hours have been extended until 6 PM to accommodate voters amidst hot weather conditions.

The first phase was held last Friday, which covered 102 seats across 21 states and union territories. The initial phase recorded a turnout of approximately 65.5 per cent which is around four per cent lower than the 2019 general elections record.

Setting an example for others, a groom wearing traditional wedding outfit arrived at his assigned polling station in Amravati, Maharashtra, today to participate in the Lok Sabha elections.

Expressing the significance of both events, the groom, Akash, from the Vadarpura area of Amravati, stated, "The wedding ceremony is important, but so is voting. The wedding is at 2 PM today."

A total of 8.08 crore male voters, 7.8 crore female voters, and 5,929 individuals identifying as third gender are set to participate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Additionally, there are 34.8 lakh first-time voters and 3.28 crore young voters aged between 20 and 29 years.

In the electoral race, 1,202 candidates are vying for seats, comprising 1,098 men, 102 women, and two individuals from the third gender category.

The process of counting the votes for the 2024 Lok Sabha election is scheduled for June 4, with the results expected to be announced on the same day.