Maharashtra elections: BJP establishes lead in state as Congress flounder

Voters showing their identity cards at a polling station in Mumbai | Amey Mansabdar

Of the trends in 81 of 288 Maharashtra assembly seats available so far, BJP is leading in 26, Shiv Sena in 22, while opposition Congress is ahead in seven seats and NCP in 17. The Sharad Pawar-led party appeared to have fared better than its parent party and was seen performing well in its stronghold of Western Maharashtra.

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As THE WEEK earlier reported, Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray leads in the constituency of Worli, now extended to 7,000.

Exit polls have predicted a comfortable win for the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance government in the state.

Around 25,000 personnel are deployed on counting duty, an election official said, adding police have also made adequate arrangements to ensure a smooth counting process.

The polling held on Monday saw a voter turnout of 61.13 per cent, a dip from the 63.20 per cent recorded in 2014, the official said.

The highest turnout, of 83.93 per cent, was reported in the Karveer assembly seat in Kolhapur, while the lowest was in south Mumbai's upmarket Colaba area at 40.11 per cent.

-Inputs from PTI

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