Maharashtra MLC polls: Sarnaik leads in Amravati, Wanjari ahead in Nagpur, tight race in Pune

Counting of votes for the teachers' and graduates' constituencies of the Maharashtra Legislative Council is now in full swing. Counting is proceeding quickly at various centres across the state. Some places are throwing up surprise results, while at others the leading candidates are locked in a neck-and-neck fight.

In the Amravati teachers' constituency, the counting of first-preference votes indicates a major setback for the Congress. After two rounds, a total of 28,000 votes have been counted. Kiran Sarnaik, the official candidate of the Mahayuti (Shinde Shiv Sena), has taken a solid lead. In each of the first two rounds, 14,000 votes were counted, and Sarnaik is ahead by 3,042 votes across the two rounds. He also won the second round. Official figures were coming in until 8.15 pm, and counting is in its final stage.

The votes in the first and second rounds were as follows. Kiran Sarnaik (Mahayuti - Shinde Shiv Sena) received 3,903 and 3,334, a total of 7,237 votes. Shrikant Deshpande (rebel Shiv Sena - Shinde faction) received 2,209 and 1,986, a total of 4,195 votes, and is in second place. Aditi Pohare (Congress) received 1,319 and 2,265, a total of 3,584 votes, and is in third place. In all, 627 votes were found invalid across the two rounds and rejected.

Counting of the third round has begun. This round has 5,034 votes. Ballot papers are being counted at 10 tables with 500 each, and 34 ballot papers at the 11th table.

In the Pune graduates' constituency, a "kaante ki takkar" (close fight) is seen between Harshada Deshmukh and Smita Jadhav, both of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). In the early first-preference trends, Harshada Deshmukh is ahead. The actual counting is due to begin officially shortly. In the Pune teachers' constituency, BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawde is leading in the counting of first-preference votes.

In the Nagpur division graduates' constituency, counting of the first round is complete. Abhijit Wanjari of the Maha Vikas Aghadi received 28,536 votes. BJP's Sudhakar Kohale received 27,751 votes and Nitesh Karale received 14,243 votes. At the end of the first round, Wanjari leads by 785 votes.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, counting of the final postal votes is complete. There were 515 postal votes in all, of which 469 were valid and 46 were rejected. Satish Chavan (Mahayuti - NCP) received 187, Dr Pratapsingh Patil (NCP - Sharad Pawar faction) received 159, Dilip Ghuge (Shiv Sena - Uddhav Thackeray faction) received 40 and Raviraj Sable (independent) received 32 votes. In the postal vote count, Mahayuti's Satish Chavan leads by 28 votes.