Expelled NCP (SP) man Karale polls over 24,000 first-preference votes in Nagpur graduates' count

The counting of votes for the Nagpur graduates' constituency has been going on for more than 30 hours and has now reached its final stage. Counting was due to start at 8 am on Tuesday, but sorting the ballot papers took time and the actual count began only at 4 pm.

Congress's Abhijit Wanjari led in the first round. By the end of the second round in the early hours of Wednesday, BJP's Sudhakar Kohle had taken the lead. No candidate secured the fixed quota of first-preference votes, so second-preference votes have been counted since morning. So far Kohle has 61,215 votes and Wanjari 57,052. Kohle is ahead by 4,163 votes.

Nitesh Karale, also known as Karale Master, finished third in the election. He secured 24,249 first-preference votes. Many people are praising his performance. The Sharad Pawar faction has now given its first reaction as well, with the faction's leader Vidya Chavan speaking about Karale.

Vidya Chavan said no one should be expelled from a party in this way, and that party workers too should not let such a situation arise for the party. She declined to say more about Karale Master.

Karale was expelled from the party for six years a few hours before polling. He was accused of breaking party discipline by contesting the election himself instead of campaigning for the Maha Vikas Aghadi's official candidate, and of spreading the impression that the Sharad Pawar faction backed him.

Karale was deeply hurt by the party's decision. He then posted a video on social media in which he broke down and wept. He said he respects Pawar Saheb and has learnt a great deal from him, but considers the action taken against him wrong. Karale said he had stood firm alone in six districts, and that this was why pressure was being applied and action taken against him.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidates Harshada Jadhav from Pune and Pratapsingh Patil from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are on the verge of victory. Former MP and Sharad Pawar faction leader Vidya Chavan said this was a matter of great joy. According to her, those who thought the Nationalist Congress had finished must now have realised that Sharad Pawar's hold in Maharashtra remains strong. She also said that where voters are educated, trust in Pawar Saheb endures, and that the Election Commission's lapses also had an effect on this election.