India election: Mumbai’s rich and famous cast their votes

India’s film and finance capital took centre stage on Monday in the fourth of seven rounds of voting in the country’s elections

Media scrums formed at polling stations where Bollywood superstars, cricket legends and the nation’s richest man were expected to vote

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Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan (right) and family show ink marks on their fingers after casting their votes in Mumbai. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:37pm, 29 Apr 2019Updated: 10:18pm, 29 Apr 2019

Billionaires and Bollywood stars took their turn with Mumbai’s slum dwellers on Monday to vote in India’s marathon election as Prime Minister Narendra Modi steps up his nationalist campaign to sway the 900 million-strong electorate.

India’s film and finance capital took centre stage in the fourth of seven rounds of voting with 72 constituencies across the nation taking part. Final results are to be released on May 23.

People check their names in voters lists before casting their votes in Mumbai. Photo: AFP

At least 40,000 police and security personnel were deployed across the city of 20 million people while workers were given a holiday so they could vote for Mumbai’s six lawmakers.

Long queues were waiting when the 10,000 polling stations opened at 7am local time.

Media scrums were set up at the polling stations where India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, Bollywood superstars including Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan, as well as Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar voted.