Campaigning ended in 10 Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha and Marathwada that go to polls on April 18 in the second phase of voting in Maharashtra.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena hold four seats each of these 10 seats while Congress won two. The constituencies that go to vote are Buldhana, Akola, Amravati (SC), Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Osmanabad, Latur (SC) and Solapur (SC).
This time, the BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting four seats each, while the Congress and NCP are contesting five and four seats respectively. The NCP has supported an ally in Amravati.
Issues like farm distress and lack of jobs dominated the campaign in the 10 constituencies. Over 3.36 crore voters are expected to decide the fate of 179 candidates, including some political heavyweights.
Among those whose fate will be sealed on April 18 include three-time MP Sanjay Dhotre and late Gopinath Munde’s daughter Preetam (both BJP) from Akola and Beed respectively; and Congress leaders Ashok Chavan (Nanded), and former Union home minister and chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde (Solapur). Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar is contesting from two seats — Akola and Solapur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held two rallies in Nanded and Latur for this phase of polling while Congress president Rahul Gandhi held a rally in Nanded.