Maharashtra is seeing a face-off between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The relationship between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena had turned rocky for a while, but the parties patched up in February to announce a seat-sharing plan of 25 and 23 seats respectively, to constitute the NDA.
In March, the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) announced a seat-sharing plan of 26 and 22 seats respectively, to constitute the UPA.
In the 2014 general elections, the BJP claimed 23 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats, while the Shiv Sena won 18. The BJP is currently in power in the State under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. In the 2014 State Assembly elections, the BJP failed to get a majority, but won on a plurality. With the State Assembly set to go to the polls later this year, the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls could have a major bearing on what is to come.
Some of the key candidates are Union Minister Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur, Sushilkumar Shinde (INC), Ashok Chavan (INC), Poonam Mahajan (BJP).
Polling in the State was held in four phases – April 11 (7 seats), April 18 (10 seats), April 23 (14 seats) and April 29 (17 seats). The overall voter turnout was 63.04%.
Here are the top highlights:
BJP-Shiv Sena in the lead in 31 seats
The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is leading in at least 31 constituencies in Maharashtra and the Congress-NCP in 16 while the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led in one constituency as per early counting trends on Thursday.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari led in Nagpur, BJP State president Raosaheb Danve-Patil in Jalna, Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan in Nanded, Supriya Sule-Pawar in Baramati and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief Raju Shetti in Hatkanangale.
Gadkari, Bhamre leading; Chavan, Shinde trailing
As of 10.30 am, Union minister Nitin Gadkari was leading by 3066 votes in Nagpur, while Union minister Subhash Bhamre was leading in Dhule by 13128 votes.
Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan was trailing by 2876 votes in Nanded while former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde was trailing in Solapur by 4627 votes.
Parth Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s grand nephew was trailing in Maval by 43,979 votes, while the NCP chief’s daughter Supriya Sule is leading Baramati by 6486 votes.
Union minister Hansraj Ahir was leading in Chandrapur by a margin of 49 votes. Union minister Anant Gite was trailing in Raigad by a margin of 1064 votes.
Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora has trailing in Mumbai South by 15,904 votes. - PTI
NCP’s Parth Pawar leads
As of 9 am, Parth Pawar, the grand-nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, is leading in Maval Lok Sabha seat of Maharashtra, as per initial trends available.
Parth, son of former state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, is leading by 1,173 votes over Shiv Sena’s sitting MP Shrirang Barne.
In Shirur, NCP nominee Amol Kolhe is leading by 2,890 votes over Shiv Sena’s sitting MP Shivaji Adhalrao Patil. -PTI