Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh, accompanied by his wife Genelia D’Souza, cast his vote today in Latur during the 2024 Maharashtra state assembly elections. The couple visited a local polling booth, encouraging citizens, particularly first-time voters, to actively participate in the democratic process.
After casting his vote, Riteish expressed confidence in the victory of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and voiced optimism about the electoral success of his brothers, who are contesting in the elections. “Maha Vikas Aghadi is set to form the government in Maharashtra… Both my brothers will win,” he said confidently. Highlighting the significance of voting, Riteish called the day a vital moment for shaping Maharashtra’s future. “This is a crucial day that comes once in five years. It’s the time to elect the leaders who will represent you. I urge everyone, especially first-time voters, to come out in large numbers. Also, ensure your elderly family members are brought to the polling booth,” he added.
The Deshmukh family holds considerable political influence in Latur. Riteish’s elder brother, Amit Deshmukh, a former Congress MLA and son of late Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, is contesting for the fourth time against BJP’s Archana Patil Chakurkar. Meanwhile, his younger brother, Dhiraj Deshmukh, is seeking re-election in the Latur Rural constituency, where he faces BJP’s Ramesh Karad. Voting for Maharashtra’s 288 assembly seats commenced at 7 a.m. and will continue until 6 p.m. today. A total of 4,136 candidates are in the fray, with intense competition between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the opposition MVA alliance, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).