Lok Sabha polls: Mahayuti trailing in six of eight constituencies in Marathwada

Maharashtra’s ruling coalition Mahayuti is trailing in six of eight constituencies in Marathwada, the epicenter of the Maratha reservation stir, in the early trends of Lok Sabha poll results.

The region saw major polarisation of votes based on caste in the backdrop of the quota protest over the last eight months.

Barring Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Raosaheb, who is the party’s Jalna candidate, and sitting Nanded MP Pratap Chikhalikar (BJP), the ruling alliance candidates in other seven constituencies are trailing continuously.

Pankaja Munde, elder daughter of former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde is trailing behind her opponent and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) candidate Bajrang Sonawane. In Aurganbad, the headquarters of Marathawada (central Maharashtra), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)’s Imtiyaz Jaleel is leading over 10,000 votes. Omraje Nimbalkar (Shiv Sena-UBT) is leading from Osmanabad, Dr Shivaji Kalge of Congress is leading in Latur. In Parbhani, Shiv Sena-UBT’s sitting MP Sanjay Jadha is leading, while party’s Hingoli candidate Baburav Kohalikar is leading against his opponent Bapurao Ashtikar of Shinde-led Sena.

In Nanded, BJP’s sitting MP Prataprao Chikhalikar is ahead of his opponent and Congress candidate Vasant Chavan.

BJP-Shiv Sena (undivided) had won seven of eight constituencies in Marathwada in 2019-LS polls.