Nagpur graduates' seat: BJP's Kohle leads by just 4,000 votes after first round, Wanjari second

Votes are being counted today for five Legislative Council seats in the state. In the trends so far, Mahayuti candidates are ahead on three seats and Maha Vikas Aghadi candidates on two. The contest on the Nagpur graduates' seat looks the most interesting this time.

On the other seats, BJP's Kaustubh Gawande is leading in the Pune teachers' constituency. In the Amravati teachers' constituency, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) candidate Kiran Sarnaik is ahead. In the Marathwada graduates' constituency, the Maha Vikas Aghadi has dealt the Mahayuti a heavy blow. Pratapsinh Patil of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) is ahead there, while Satish Chavan of the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) is trailing.

On the Nagpur graduates' seat, the first round of counting is complete. In the figures so far, BJP's Sudhakar Kohle is in front, but his lead is only 4,000 votes. Congress's Abhijit Wanjari is second and Nitesh Karale is third. There is not much difference between the votes of the three candidates.

For this reason, it appears unlikely that the seat will be decided on first-preference votes. The result could go to the counting of second-preference votes. Karale, known as "Master", has already claimed that he could get the most second-preference votes. If the Nagpur graduates' seat is indeed decided on second-preference votes, it could add to the worries of both the BJP and the Congress.

Counting is still on, so nothing definite can be said about the result. What is clear is that Karale has raised the anxiety of both the BJP and the Congress on this seat. BJP's Sudhakar Kohle is ahead for now, but his lead is not large. All eyes are on who will finally win the Nagpur graduates' seat.