There will be change, says Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar expressed confidence here on Monday that there will be a change of guard in Maharashtra after the Assembly elections.

Voting for the 288 assembly seats in the state began at 7 am on Monday.

Pawar, his grand-daughter Revati Sule and son-in-law Sadanand Sule voted at a polling booth in south Mumbai in the morning.

"Youngsters want change. The BJP and Shiv Sena ruled the state and people hoped their expectations would be fulfilled. That trust, however, has been betrayed," Pawar told reporters afterwards.

Maharashtra lagged behind in sectors such as agriculture and industries, and there were job losses too, the former Union minister claimed.

"All this has created restlessness among people...I got good response across the state (during the campaigning). I do not have any doubt that there will be a change," he said.

Election results will be out on October 24.