BMC Elections 2026: Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar, Sanya Malhotra and other celebrities stepped out early to vote in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls on Thursday morning.
Kumar, one of the early voters, urged the people of Mumbai to exercise their franchise and choose the right candidate. He said today is the day when Mumbaikars have the "remote control" (to elect public representatives) in their hands.
Therefore, people should come out and vote, rather than complaining later about issues related to electricity, water and road infrastructure, he added.
"So, now it’s our turn and we all should step out and vote to elect the right person. If you want to be the real hero of Mumbai, then instead of dialogues, you should come and vote,” Kumar told reporters after casting his vote.
His actor-author wife, Twinkle Khanna, also voted. “It gives us a sense of control, a little bit of power over the narrative. I’m voting out of habit and hope,” she said.
Actor Sanya Malhotra and musician Vishal Dadlani also exercised their franchise.
In Mumbai, the electoral battle is between the BJP-led Mahayuti and the alliance of cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray for control of the cash-rich BMC, which has an annual budget of more than ₹74,000 crore.
Actor Junaid Khan and his family, lyricist Gulzar were also among those who cast their votes today.
Sachin Tendulkar, Natarajan also vote
Master Baster Sachin Tendulkar was among the first cricketers to reach a polling booth on Thursday morning to cast his vote in the ongoing Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Sachin arrived with his wife, Anjali Tendulkar, and daughter, Sara Tendulkar, to cast his vote at the Pali-Chimbai Municipal School in Bandra.
Sachin emphasised the importance of the election, stating that it gives us a chance to express our opinions through voting. While speaking to the media here, Sachin said, “This is a very important election. It gives us a chance where we can express our opinion through votes. Everyone should come out and cast their votes.”
It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to vote, and I would encourage and request everyone to exercise their franchise and come out in large numbers.
Tata Chairperson Natarajan Chandrasekaran also exercised his franchise.
“It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to vote, and I would encourage and request everyone to exercise their franchise and come out in large numbers. Local issues are extremely important, and I’m glad we are having a BMC election. I’m looking forward to the new administration,” he said.
