Political heavyweights such as Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, BJP leader Gopinath Munde, NCP leader Supriya SUle, former chief minister Ashok Chavan are in the fray today in Maharashtra as 19 constituencies go to polls. The state has a total of 48 Lok Sabha seats. Ten of these, in the Vidarbha region, have voted in the previous phase. The Marathwada and western Maharashtra regions will cast their vote today.
AFP
Polling is expected to be largely peaceful
The latest surveys have estimated that voters are increasingly inclined to pick the NDA in Maharashtra. The latest poll, by NDTV-Hansa, which has predicted a 275-plus tally for the NDA, has said the BJP will see one of its biggest gains in Maharashtra, where it predicts the party will add to its existing tally of 9 by 17 seats.
The Lokniti, CSDS-IBN Election Tracker survey has had a slightly more modest estimation, but also shows clear leads for the BJP-Sena. According to the Election Tracker, the BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI alliance is expected to get 43 percent and the Congress-NCP alliance is likely to get 33 percent votes.
Where the Sena-BJP had 21 out of Maharashtra's 48 seats in 2009, they could now win 24 to 30 seats, the Congress-NCP reduced to 16-22 seats.
7.30 am: Shinde, Sule cast their vote
Among the early birds who cast their vote before 7.30 am were Sushilkumar Shinde and Supriya Sule.
Shinde is contesting from Solapur and Sule from Baramati, both in western Maharashtra.
7.45 am Sule: Reports of trouble in alliance with Cong a fabrication of media
Speaking to CNN-IBN after casting her vote in Baramati, Sule said she does not sense any strong anti-incumbency because the UPA and the state government have both executed some "good programmes".
Sule is re-contesting from Baramati and is pitted against the Rashtriya Samaj Party's Mahadev Jankar, who is supported by the Shiv Sena-BJP, and the AAP's candidate Suresh Khopde, a retired IPS officer.
On her opponents billing this as a battle against dynasty, Sule said, "I dont respond to allegations because most allegations made against me and my family are hundred percent baseless. Secondly, this is his personal opinion. I have full faith in my voters and my cadre -- we have put together good work."
On reports of troubles within the Congress and NCP's alliance, Sule said this appeared to be a "fabrication of the media".
Having dismissed the Modi wave, Sule said she was confident of winning, "but not overconfident".
8.00 am: "No Modi effect, only Sushilkumar Shinde effect"
Shinde speaks to journalists after casting his vote. "There is no Modi wave," he says. "The only effect there is is from Suskhilkumar Shinde."
The Union Home Minister is standing against the BJP's Sharad Bansode, who he defeated by a large margin in 2009.
The 72-year-old Shinde is a former chief minister of Maharashtra, seeking his fourth term in Lok Sabha.
8.25 am: Recap: The 19 constituencies going to polls in the state today
Hatkanangale, Kolhapur, Madha, Sangli, Maval, Pune, Baramati, Shirur, Solapur, Satara, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg.
In Hatkanangale, sitting MP Raju Shetti of the Swabhimaan Shetkarai Sanghatana (an ally of the Shiv Sena-BJP) is seeking a fresh term, minister Patangrao Kadam's son Viswajeet is in the fray for a first term in Pune, Supriya Sule expects to keep Baramati with the Pawar family for an eighth term, Gopinath Munde is fighting a prestige battle against the NCP in Beed, Ashok Chavan will hope to put the Adarsh ghost to rest with a win in Nanded while Narayan Rane's son Nilesh, a sitting MP, is facing dissent from within the alliance in Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg.
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