Bengal celebrities turn out to vote, inspire others

Kolkata, May 19 (IANS) Urging everyone to make their vote count, a host of celebrities on Sunday exercised their democratic right in the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Kolkata.

Donning casual and comfortable attire, most of them posed for the cameras while flashing their inked finger. It was family time for many of them.

"Let's celebrate the biggest festival of democracy. Every Vote is important-Go out and exercise your right to Vote. Vote responsibly," Trinamool's celebrity candidate Nusrat Jahan tweeted after casting her vote.

Donning a bright yellow saree, the young actress stepped out early for her vote in Ballygunj. Later she moved to Basirhat to oversee the polling process in her constituency.

Veteran actress-cum-BJP leader Roopa Ganguly was seen voting in Sonarpur along with her mother. Theatre personalities Swatilekha Sengupta and her daughter Sohini Sengupta were among the early birds. The mother-daughter duo pitched for a peaceful environment that would everyone "to exercise their right". 

Sharing a philosophical message for political parties, Sohini said: "I would say life is very short. There is no point in resorting to violence". She advised everyone to watch "Game of Thrones" (a show based on George R.R. Martin's novels) to understand that everything is transient.

Trinamool's Birbhum candidate Shatabdi Roy didn't miss a chance to flaunt her party colour. She voted wearing green-coloured attire. 

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly and his wife Dona Ganguly also voted. Ganguly obliged the polling officers by letting them click a selfie with him.

Other Bengali film personalities like Ranjit Mallick, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Arjun Chakrabarty, Gaurav Chakrabarty, Jeet (Jeetendra Madnani) and Debashree Roy were also seen visiting the booths in the morning.