Kartik Aaryan casts vote, Ranbir Kapoor praises BMC, Salman Khan flaunts inked finger: BMC polls highlights

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections saw several Bollywood celebrities stepping out to exercise their democratic right. Polling began at 7:30 am on Thursday across all 227 wards in the city and concluded at 5:30 pm.

Bollywood stars were seen across Mumbai, turning civic duty into a public reminder for citizens to stop complaining and come out to exercise their vote. Among the early celebrity voters were Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna, who were photographed after casting their votes, along with actor Sanya Malhotra.

Veteran actor and MP Hema Malini voted early and spoke about the importance of choosing leaders who can deliver on issues that matter most to Mumbai residents, such as clean air and pothole-free roads.

Kriti Sanon, who was busy with sister Nupur Sanon’s wedding festivities, arrived later in the evening to take part in the democratic process.

Varun Dhawan, who is busy promoting his upcoming film Border 2, was also seen casting his vote in Mumbai.

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan arrived in the afternoon. Kareena dressed in a white outfit, while Saif opted for a black T-shirt. The couple did not interact with the media and left soon after voting.

Salman Khan avoids interaction, shows his inked finger

Salman Khan arrived with heavy security and a convoy. Though he did not interact with the media, the actor made sure to cast his vote. While leaving, Salman smiled and proudly showed his inked finger to the cameras.

Ranbir Kapoor praises BMC

Ranbir Kapoor praised the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for its arrangements at the polling booths. “I want to thank the BMC. Year after year, whether it is during Ganpati Utsav or election time, they ensure good facilities and arrangements for the public. We should appreciate their efforts,” Ranbir said.

He added, “I believe everyone living in India has a responsibility to vote. We complain throughout the year about issues in our country and our city, but voting is our right and duty as citizens. People should step out and cast their vote.”

Ranbir, dressed in a checkered shirt and white pants with sunglasses, interacted with the paparazzi, shook hands with volunteers, and posed for selfies at the booth.

Vicky Kaushal smily showed his inked finger

Vicky Kaushal was also spotted casting his vote on BMC election day. Dressed casually in a light blue denim shirt and a black cap.

Actor Soha Ali Khan took to social media after voting to highlight key civic issues in Mumbai. Sharing a picture with her inked finger, she wrote, “Dug-up roads. Senseless construction. Traffic jams. Pollution. This is your time to vote, Mumbai—not just complain. #MakeADifference #BMC #MunicipalElections #Vote #EveryVoteCounts.”

Aamir Khan took a selfie with a fan at the booth

Aamir Khan, after casting his vote, praised the arrangements at the polling station. “The municipality has made very good arrangements. I urge everyone to come and cast their valuable vote. The BMC has ensured excellent facilities, including water—everything has been taken care of. Please come out and vote,” he said.

In a light-hearted moment captured on video, a female fan at the polling booth initially thought the paparazzi were there for her. When Aamir Khan arrived, she quickly stepped aside, and the actor graciously obliged her with a selfie.

Aamir’s former wives, Reena Dutta and Kiran Rao, along with his children Junaid Khan and Ira Khan, were also seen exercising their democratic right by casting their votes.

Vishal Dadlani slams Mumbaikars for low turnout

Singer and music composer Vishal Dadlani expressed disappointment over the low voter turnout during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections after casting his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai.

Speaking to the media outside the polling station, the musician slammed Mumbaikars’ lack of public participation, which was concerning and showed a troubling apathy towards democracy.

Vishal said, “I’ve stopped asking people to vote. What I’m seeing here is that there’s hardly any public presence. There are more officials inside; it’s so shameful. Every Indian should feel pain seeing this. If we don’t take care of our country, if we don’t take responsibility for it, then what’s happening will continue to happen…”

Hopefully, whoever wins will hold the elections on time. This is very important for the country, for democracy. But given the state of our city in the last few days, the hope is that things will improve,” he added.

Kartik Aaryan

Kartik Aaryan arrived late to cast his vote along with his family, marking his first public appearance after his alleged dating rumours with a UK-based teen model, Karina. The actor was reportedly spotted in Goa during the New Year, sparking speculation after Karina was also in the same location around the same time. Their presence in Goa and similar location-tagged Instagram stories raised eyebrows on social media.

However, Karina later took to her Instagram to set the record straight, stating that she does not know Kartik and is not dating him.

Ever since the fiasco, Kartik has kept mum on the rumours but was spotted stepping out to cast his vote today, days after his alleged link-up with the UK-based model grabbed headlines.

Lowest turnout of voters in Mumbai for BMC elections 2026, despite holiday

Meanwhile, early voting trends pointed to a sluggish start for the BMC elections. According to official data released by the State Election Commission (SEC), voter turnout stood at just 7.12 per cent till 9:30 am on Thursday. Of the total 1,03,44,315 registered voters, only 7,36,996 had cast their ballots by that time.