Bollywood stars Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza cast their votes today in Latur as Maharashtra went to the polls for the 2024 state assembly elections.

The couple visited a local polling booth, urging citizens, especially first-time voters, to exercise their democratic right and participate in the election process.

Speaking to the media after casting his ballot, Riteish Deshmukh expressed his confidence in the forthcoming victory of his political allies, particularly within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. He also shared his optimism about the electoral success of his brothers, who are contesting the polls. “Maha Vikas Aghadi is going to form its government in Maharashtra… Both my brothers are going to win,” he said, in an upbeat tone.

Riteish emphasized the importance of the day, calling it a significant opportunity for people to shape the future of the state. “Today is a very important day; it comes once every five years. This is the day you choose the leaders who will represent you. I urge all voters, especially first-time voters, to come out and vote in large numbers. And, don’t forget to bring your elderly parents or grandparents to the polling booth,” he added.

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Genelia D’Souza, also present at the polling booth with Riteish, echoed similar sentiments, stressing the importance of voting. “Everyone has the right to vote, and it is important that people come out and exercise that right today. Your vote can make a significant difference,” she said.

In the Latur region, Riteish’s family has strong political ties. His brother Amit Deshmukh, a former Congress MLA and son of late Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, is running for the fourth time, facing BJP’s Archana Patil Chakurkar. Meanwhile, Amit’s younger brother, Dhiraj Deshmukh, is seeking re-election in the Latur Rural constituency, where he is pitted against BJP’s Ramesh Karad.

Voting for the 288-seat Maharashtra assembly began at 7 am today and will continue until 6 pm. A total of 4,136 candidates are vying for the seats, with significant competition from multiple parties. The ruling BJP-led alliance, Mahayuti, is facing off against the opposition MVA alliance, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).

Security measures have been ramped up, with Mumbai Police deploying over 25,000 personnel to ensure peaceful voting across the state. Approximately 9.7 crore voters are registered to cast their ballots in this high-stakes election.