Social Buzz: A voting pitch by EC, Shah Rukh Khan and star MI players, Cong’s jibe at Himanta, and more
The grand old party also shared a 'throwback' photo from May 18, 1974, to mark 50 years of India conducting its first nuclear tests in Pokhran.
The fifth phase on Monday will see the highest number of constituencies in Maharashtra going to polls with 13 seats at stake. The high-octane campaigning for 49 seats going to polls on Monday (May 20) in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election ends tonight. While top brass of political parties turned their attention to phase 6 scheduled for May 25, their official social media campaigns saw it through with final pitches and digs.
After four phases of polling, experts are of the opinion that the final voter turnout of the 2024 Election will not be much different than of 2019. However, the Election Commission of India is pulling out all the stops via social media — along with A-list Bollywood stars and cricketers — to boost voter awareness and draw people out of their homes to the polling booths.
Let’s take a look at the interesting posts that created a buzz today:
EC, Mumbai Indians collaborate to urge people to vote
The fifth phase on Monday will see the highest number of constituencies in Maharashtra going to polls with 13 seats at stake. So it didn’t come as a surprise that the poll panel’s official X handle since Friday has posts targeted at encouraging the voters in the state. This also coincided with a Mumbai Indians IPL match in their home ground at Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
During an IPL match at Wankhede Stadium, renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle is actively raising awareness about the importance of voting in the upcoming Lok Sabha election on May 20, 2024.#ECISVEEP #VoterAwareness #VoteMumbaiOnMay20 #ipl2024@CEO_Maharashtra @bhogleharsha pic.twitter.com/oKx4OVdG4v
— DEO Mumbai City (@electionmumbai) May 17, 2024
During the match, renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle was heard actively raising awareness about the importance of voting. On the following day, the EC made several posts on social media with star players from the team, including Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur, making appeals to the voters to exercise their franchise. Rahane and Thakur, who also hail from the state, made the appeals in Marathi.
चला, आपला मताधिकार बजावून लोकशाहीचा उत्सव साजरा करूया!
Voter Appeal by Cricketer @ajinkyarahane88 #chunavkaparv #deshkagarv #Loksabha_Election_2024 #generalelections2024 #ivoteforsure pic.twitter.com/vX22wEdciR
— ChiefElectoralOffice (@CEO_Maharashtra) May 17, 2024
SRK also had a message for voters in Maharashtra
While Bollywood star Salman Khan’s message to increase voter awareness left the internet in splits on Friday, another Khan of Bollywood chose a rather sober tone to get the point across today.
I exercise 365 days a year no matter what and now I’m going to exercise my right to vote on the 20th of May no matter what. So do whatever you want to do man, but go and vote and don’t trouble your Bharat Mata .. Bharat Mata ki Jai
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) May 17, 2024
Taking to X on Saturday, Shah Rukh Khan made an appeal to eligible voters in Maharashtra and said: “As responsible Indian citizens we must exercise our right to vote this Monday in Maharashtra. Let’s carry out our duty as Indians and vote keeping our country’s best interests in mind. Go forth Promote, our right to Vote.”
As responsible Indian citizens we must exercise our right to vote this Monday in Maharashtra. Let’s carry out our duty as Indians and vote keeping our country’s best interests in mind. Go forth Promote, our right to Vote.
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) May 18, 2024
Salman and Shah Rukh both reside in Mumbai and are expected to cast their votes.
‘Unsolicited advice, Himanta BS’: Congress takes a jibe at Assam CM
Political parties and their leaders sparring with each other on social media is an everyday occurrence during poll season. To amp things up, the Indian National Congress’s (INC) Kerala unit had a response to an observation made by Assam CM and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Assam CM on Friday had noted a discrepancy in the colour of the cover of the Constitution that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been carrying around for his election rallies over the last few weeks. “The original copy of the Constitution of India has a blue cover. The original Chinese constitution has a red cover. Does Rahul carry a Chinese Constitution? We will need to verify,” Sarma said on X.
A day later, @INCKerala had a comeback that doubled up as a quote of the day. “Better not to tweet and be thought a fool than to tweet and remove all doubt,” the post said.
Unsolicited advice, Himanta BS. https://t.co/DeF472rO7H pic.twitter.com/Iv6qJiD2UR
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) May 18, 2024
In a post evidently made with “GenZ” in mind was captioned: “Unsolicited advice, Himanta BS.”
‘On this day’: Congress marks 50 years of Pokhran-I
Using the internet-famous ‘On this day, that year’ format, the Congress party marked 50 years of Pokhran-I when India conducted its first nuclear tests.
Sharing a post showing then prime minister Indira Gandhi at the site of nuclear explosion located in the desert of western Rajasthan, the party said: “India conducted its first nuclear test in Pokhran under the able leadership of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This achievement made India the sixth country in the world to become a nuclear power and ushered India into the nuclear age.”
भारत ने तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री श्रीमती इंदिरा गांधी जी के कुशल नेतृत्व में पोखरण में अपना पहला परमाणु परीक्षण किया था।
इस उपलब्धि ने भारत को परमाणु शक्ति बनने वाला दुनिया का छठा देश बनाया और भारत को परमाणु युग में प्रवेश कराया। pic.twitter.com/ZHRdCtHGJo
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 18, 2024
A nuclear device was detonated on May 18, 1974, as part of the ‘Smiling Buddha’ operation. Pokhran, an army test range , was chosen. A team of around 75 researchers and scientists were involved. The code name came from the test’s date being on the same day as Buddha Jayanti, the birth date of Gautam Buddha.
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