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ShareNew Delhi: Congress, along with ally NCP, is leading with over 146 assembly seats in Maharashtra besides making good progress in Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh.
In the 288-member Maharasthra Assembly, Congress-NCP combine is leading in 104 seats as against Shiv Sena-BJP coalition which is ahead in 66 seats. The Raj Thackeray-led MNS is leading in 11 constituencies.
Ruling Congress is ahead of its rivals in 26 seats in Haryana, while Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD is leading in 14 seats and BJP five. In Arunachal Pradesh where the ruling Congress won three seats without contest, the party was ahead in ten seats.
In Maharashtra, those leading include Industry Minister Narayan Rane (Kudal), Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's daughter Praniti (Solapur) and Omraje Nimbalkar (Osmanabad), son of slain Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar.
Stakes are high in Maharashtra, where there are several chief ministerial aspirants. Rivals Shiv Sena and its offshoot MNS are fighting for the same political space and the ruling Congress-NCP combine is aiming a hat-trick. There are 1,820 independents, mostly party rebels, in fray.
With NCP leader Chagan Bhujbal floating the idea of rotating the post of Chief Minister, senior Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh said there was no doubt about his party getting the Chief Ministership in Maharashtra."Whatever the question raised, I think the issue has been clarified by NCP chief Sharad Pawar that the Chief Minister will be from Congress," Deshmukh said.
He was responding to a question on Bhujbal's idea of rotating the post of Chief Minister in Maharashtra between Congress and ally NCP.
"I don't see any controversy on the issue in the wake of the clarification given by the NCP high command," he said.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP) was leading by 1,739 votes at the end of first round of counting at Yeola assembly constituency in Nashik district. His son Pankaj is leading in Nandgaon constituency.
In Alibaug, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) candidate Meenakshi Patil is leading over Madhu Thakur of Congress after first three rounds of counting. In Karjat constituency of Raigad district, Suresh Lad of NCP is ahead of Sena candidate Devendra Satam.
From Pen seat, Congress candidate Raviseth Patil is ahead of PWP candidate Dhairsheel Patil. In Shrivardhan constituency, NCP's Sunil Tatakare is leading over Shiv Sena candidate Tukaram Surve and in Mahad, Sena nominee Bharat Gogawale is ahead of NCP candidate Manik Jagtap.
