In an unusual incident during the 5th phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Maharashtra on Monday, May 20, independent candidate Shantigiri Maharaj was seen garlanding a voting machine after casting his vote at a polling booth in Nashik.
Shantigiri Maharaj, an independent candidate, attracted attention when he placed a garland over the voting machine immediately after casting his vote. ANI news agency shared a video, which has now went viral on social media platforms.
Also Read | Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 5: Polling Begins in 49 Constituencies Across 8 States and Union Territories.
Voting for the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls on Monday morning across 49 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories (UTs) amid tight security and arrangements.
Shantigiri Maharaj Garlands EVM
The voting started at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with those in line by the closing time still allowed to vote. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), polling for 35 assembly constituencies of the Odisha legislative assembly will also take place simultaneously on Monday.
As per the ECI, over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5409 third-gender electors, will decide the fate of 695 candidates in the fifth phase of voting. The fifth phase will witness key contests in various constituencies.
Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya are looking for electoral success. Eight states/UTs going for polls in phase 5 are Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Cities like Mumbai, Thane, and Lucknow are going to the polls in this phase, which has in the past suffered from urban apathy in voting.