Sat Nov 23 03:30:00 UTC 2024: ## Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Early Trends Show Close Contest in Western Maharashtra
**Kolhapur, November 23:** The counting of votes for the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024 began at 8 am today. Exit polls predicted a hung assembly, leaving the outcome uncertain. Western Maharashtra, with its 58 constituencies, is a key battleground, and initial trends are revealing a closely fought contest.
Early leads in several constituencies across Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, and Solapur districts are as follows:
* **Kolhapur:** Rohit Patil leads in one constituency by 2254 votes. In Kolhapur South, Rituraj Patil is ahead by 657 votes. Rahul Patil holds a 200-vote lead in Karvir. Ashok Mane leads by a significant margin of 5006 votes in Hatkanangale. An independent candidate, Shivaji Patil, leads in Chandgad. Rahul Awadhe maintains a substantial lead of 3000 votes in Ichalkaranji. Vinay Kore is narrowly ahead by only 20 votes in Shahuwadi. Rajesh Latkar is leading in Kolhapur North. Prakash Abhitkar leads by 1676 votes in Radhanagari. In Karvir, the initial count showed Shiv Sena’s Chandradeep Narke ahead of Congress’ Rahul P.N. Patil.
* **Satara:** Shivendrasinghraje Bhosale of BJP leads in Satara constituency with a margin of 3352 votes. In Patan, Minister Shambhuraj Desai holds a 400-vote lead. Mahesh Shinde is ahead in Koregaon.
* **Other Districts:** In Wai, Makarand Patil (NCP, Ajit Pawar faction) is ahead in postal ballot counting. In Sangola (Solapur), Dr. Babasaheb Deshmukh (Shetkari Kamgar Paksha) is leading in postal ballots. Uttamrao Jankar leads in postal ballots in Malshiras, while Vishwajeet Kadam (Congress) is ahead in Palus Kada in postal ballot counting. In Khanapur, Shinde group’s Shiv Sena candidate Suhas Babar is ahead of Nationalist Congress Party’s Vaibhav Patil in postal ballot counts. Jaykumar Gore (BJP) leads in Man-Khatav by 800 votes.
* **Close Contests:** The counting reveals several close races. Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is trailing behind BJP’s Atul Bhosale in Karad South.
Postal ballot counting is underway across all constituencies. Strong rooms in Kolhapur district have been opened, and the counting process is proceeding. The overall picture remains fluid, with the final results expected later in the day. Pudhari Online Desk will continue to provide live updates.
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