Mumbai: The Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 started on Wednesday, with polling running from 7 am to 6 pm. With 288 constituencies and 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independents, the elections are a big event in the state.
Bollywood stars like Sonu Sood, Akshay Kumar, Rajkummar Rao, Gautami Kapoor, and Ali Fazal cast their votes early and urged others to do the same. Sonu Sood reminded everyone that voting is an important duty in a democracy.
However, not all Bollywood celebrities can vote in India. Some famous actors are ineligible because they hold foreign citizenship. Here’s a list of stars who cannot participate in Indian elections and why.
1. Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt, one of Bollywood’s top actresses, can’t vote in India. She holds British citizenship as she was born in Birmingham, England. Indian law doesn’t allow dual citizenship, so she can’t vote unless she gives up her British passport.
2. Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif, a Bollywood superstar, was born in British Hong Kong. She holds British citizenship, which makes her ineligible to vote in India, even though she has lived and worked here for years.
3. Nora Fatehi
Nora Fatehi, famous for her dance performances, is a Canadian citizen. Her foreign passport means she cannot vote in India, despite her success in Bollywood.
4. Imran Khan
Imran Khan, an actor known for romantic comedies, was born in the USA. As an American citizen, he isn’t allowed to vote in India, even though he grew up here.
5. Jacqueline Fernandez
Jacqueline Fernandez, born in Bahrain to Sri Lankan and Malaysian parents, holds Sri Lankan citizenship. This makes her ineligible to vote in India.
Only Indian citizens can vote. Dual citizenship is not allowed, so celebrities with foreign passports miss out on elections. Still, they continue to contribute to India in many other ways.
