Nagpur graduates' poll: BJP's Kohale leads Congress's Wanjari by 4,244 votes after 28 eliminated

Counting of votes in the Nagpur graduates' constituency election has been going on for the past 30 hours, and the contest remains tight even in the final round. Another big turn has come during the count.

According to the figures so far, BJP's Sudhakar Kohale has 61,029 votes, while Congress's Abhijeet Wanjari has 56,785. Kohale is thus ahead by 4,244 votes for now. These figures reflect the position after 28 candidates were eliminated in the elimination round. Who finally wins will become clear only at the end of the result.

No candidate, not even the BJP's Kohale, has reached the winning quota. The outcome will therefore be decided in the elimination round on the basis of second-preference votes. Independent candidate Nitesh Karale is third with 24,249 votes. How many second-preference votes from his tally go to the BJP and Congress candidates could prove decisive in this Nagpur election.

Meanwhile, the votes of Anil Sole, a BJP rebel, were also counted. Sole had withdrawn from the contest and backed the BJP's official candidate, Kohale. He had received 267 first-preference votes and 7 postal ballot votes, 274 in all. Second preferences were counted in these 274 votes.

In this count, Kohale received 88 second-preference votes, Wanjari 41 and Karale 10. Kohale thus got the most second preferences from Sole's votes, though Sole's voters also gave Wanjari a second preference.

While BJP's Kohale and Congress's Wanjari are locked in a fierce fight, independent candidate Nitesh Karale Guruji appears to be emerging as the game changer in the same constituency. Who will win this close contest is likely to be known shortly.