Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are leading in their respective assembly constituencies in the first round of the counting of votes for the November 20 state elections.

As per the figures provided by the Election Commission officials, Shinde was leading by 4,053 votes over his nearest rival from Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly seat at the end of first round of counting, while Fadnavis was leading by 2,246 votes from Nagpur South-West and Pawar by 3,759 votes in Baramati seat, where he is locked in a tussle with his nephew Yugendra Pawar.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole was leading by 344 votes from Sakoli constituency at the end of first round.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and sitting MLA Aaditya Thackeray was leading in Worli assembly seat in Mumbai by 495 votes, the poll officials said.

Congress Legislature Party leader and former minister Balasaheb Thorat was trailing in Sangamner assembly seat by 1,831 votes.

Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan was also trailing by 1,590 votes in Karad South assembly seat at the end of the first round of counting, the officials added.

The counting of votes in the Maharashtra assembly elections began at 8 am Saturday, with all eyes on the outcome of the battle between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.

The final turnout in the polls, held on November 20, was 66.05 per cent, up from 61.1 per cent in 2019.

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