Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Fahadh Faasil, Tovino Thomas, Prakash Raj and other South actors cast their vote

Tovino Thomas and Prakash Raj

Voting for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 began at 7:00 am on Friday across 88 Parliamentary Constituencies spread over 12 States and Union Territories. 89 general observers, 53 police Observers and 109 expenditure observers have been deployed in the regions.

As all of the 20 constituencies in Kerala went to polling, several prominent actors were seen casting their vote. Film actor and producer Tovino Thomas on Friday cast his vote at a polling booth in Irinjalakuda, Thrissur. The 'Minnal Murali' actor is also the state brand ambassador for the Election Commission's SWEEP (Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation) program. He cast his vote at the Government Girls Higher Secondary school in Irinjalakkuda.

Actor Fahadh Faasil was also seen stepping out to cast his vote. He voted at a booth near the district collector's residence in Alappuzha.

Besides them, prominent actors, including Sreenivasan and Renji Panicker, as well as church heads like Major Archbishop of the influential Syro-Malabar Church Raphael Thattil and Cardinal George Alencherry also voted in the morning.

Kerala will decide the fate of 194 candidates. Of the 20 constituencies in Kerala going to polls, two seats -Alathur and Mavelikara- are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. The key candidates in Kerala are, Wayanad: Congress leader and sitting MP Rahul Gandhi is recontesting against Annie Raja of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Both of them are part of the national INDIA bloc but are rivals in the state.

Apart from 20 constituencies in Kerala, 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, six in Madhya Pradesh, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one each in Tripura, Manipur, and Jammu & Kashmir are voting today.

Actor Kiccha Sudeep cast his vote in Bengaluru. He also spoke to the media about the importance of voting and how it is the duty of every eligible citizen.

Actor Yash also cast his vote in Bengaluru.

Actor Prakash Raj, a known critic of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, cast his vote in Bengaluru amid polling for the second phase on Friday. The actor, clad in a red printed shirt and white trousers, arrived at his designated polling station in Bengaluru to get his finger inked.

Speaking to media persons after casting his vote, the actor, who is not only a prominent face in the South film industry but also made character appearances in several Bollywood hits, said, "My vote is my right. It gives me the power to choose who will represent me, be my voice in Parliament. It is very important that you vote for a candidate you believe in. And, I voted for the candidate I believe in, the manifesto that promised change from the divisive and hate politics we have seen in the last decade."

The Lok Sabha election is being held in seven phases till June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4.

(with inputs from ANI)