Counting of votes begins in Maharashtra

Counting for 288 Assembly constituencies that went to the polls in single-phase elections in Maharashtra began at 8 am on Thursday.

The electoral fate of 3,237 candidates in Maharashtra was sealed in EVMs by the voters who had exercised their franchise in the assembly polls on October 21.

Around 96,661 polling booths were set up in Maharashtra for citizens to cast their votes.

In Maharashtra, BJP is contested on 150 seats while its ally Shiv Sena had fielded it candidates in 124 constituencies in the state. The remaining seats were left for smaller allies.

On the other hand, Congress contested the polls in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The assembly poll results will be crucial for the NCP as well as for Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, AIMIM and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.

The exit polls have predicted the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance getting elected in Maharashtra but have differed in their projection of number of seats.

The BJP will create history if it returns to power with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

The assembly elections are the first after the BJP-led government's decision to revoke Article 370. A verdict in its favour will give a boost to the party ahead of the winter session of Parliament next month.

A victory will also keep the political momentum with the BJP after its emphatic victory in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The polls are equally as crucial for the Congress which has faced desertions after its second successive debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. A strong performance will help the party in its process of electoral revival.

The BJP has already declared that incumbent Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to lead the state government if the party is voted to power.