Maharashtra by-polls: Early trends show Congress leading in Kasba Peth

The counting of votes for the Maharashtra bye-elections in Kasba Peth and Chinchwad Assembly segments began at 8 a.m. on Thursday, with early trends putting the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate in the lead in Kasba Peth, according to the Election Commission.

The Kasba Peth Assembly constituency was locked in a fierce two-way fight, according to the EC, with the Congress’s Dhangekar Ravindra Hemraj leading the BJP’s Hemant Narayan Rasane by 1,637 votes. The electoral fates of three leading candidates from the Chinchwad Assembly constituency will be decided by the counting of votes: the NCP’s Vitthal Kate, the BJP’s Ashwini Jagtap, and Independent Rahul Kalate.

The election was held on February 27th.

The outcome of the Kasba Peth election will be decided by a two-way fight between the BJP and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with the latter pitting Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar against the BJP’s Hemant Rasane.

The contesting parties’ heavyweights, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Shiv Sena UBT’s Aditya Thackeray, and Congress state chief Nana Patole, have been campaigning extensively and vigorously for their respective party candidates in the poll-bound constituencies through roadshows, street corner meetings, and public rallies.

The total number of voters in the Kasba Peth constituency is 2,75,428 according to data released by the district information office, with 1,38,550 women voters, 1,36,87 male voters, and five transgender voters. A total of 56,8954 eligible voters cast ballots across 510 pooling booths in the Chinchwad Assembly constituency.

Pune police deployed approximately 1300 police personnel, as well as all senior officials from the police department, for voting day. After the deaths of BJP MLAs Laxman Jagtap from the Chinchwad Assembly constituency and Mukta Tilak from the Kasba Peth Assembly constituency, bye-elections were called.