Renowned cricket luminary Sachin Tendulkar and his progeny Arjun, an emerging southpaw hurler, exercised their franchise during the ongoing parliamentary elections at a polling station on Monday, May 20.
Tendulkar has been hailed as the ‘national emblem’ by the Election Commission of India (EC) to elevate voter consciousness in the electoral procedure. Arjun Tendulkar plies his trade for the Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit Mumbai Indians (MI).
Anjali, spouse of Sachin Tendulkar, and their offspring, Sara, were unable to attend the proceedings in Mumbai due to Sara’s postgraduate commencement ceremony, as per sources informed ETV Bharat.
Sachin, a seasoned campaigner with 200 Test appearances under his belt, and Arjun exhibited their marked fingers post participating in the electoral process. “I would like to emphasize that predicaments arise either due to impulsive actions or prolonged contemplation devoid of action. I implore individuals to exercise their franchise. It holds paramount significance for the future of our nation,” remarked Tendulkar, who also plied his trade for Mumbai, addressing the press.
Sachin Tendulkar holds the distinction of being the highest run-getter in international cricket, amassing 34,357 runs and notching up 100 centuries in 664 international fixtures. He was also a pivotal member of the Indian squad that clinched the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
The polling for six parliamentary constituencies of Mumbai is currently in progress. These include Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South, and Mumbai South Central. Additionally, the other electoral segments of Maharashtra participating in the ongoing electoral phase encompass Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Kalyan, Palghar, Bhiwandi, and Thane. Maharashtra boasts of 48 parliamentary constituencies, the second highest tally after Uttar Pradesh.
The fifth phase witnesses keenly contested battles in various constituencies. Political stalwarts such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP luminaries Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) supremo Chirag Paswan, JKNC leader Omar Abdullah, and RJD luminary Rohini Acharya are vying for electoral triumph. Eight states/union territories heading for polls in phase 5 include Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Among the 49 parliamentary seats up for grabs, Uttar Pradesh accounts for 14, Maharashtra for 13, West Bengal for 7, Bihar for 5, Jharkhand for 3, Odisha for 5, and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.