Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Zeeshan Siddique, son of late politician Baba Siddique, follows Vandre East in Mumbai as votes are counted for the Assembly elections in Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray's nephew Varun Sardesai of the Shiv Sena (UBT) is leading by over 7,000 votes after 12 rounds. Mr Sardesai has so far won nearly 43,000 votes and Mr Siddique has won 36,000 votes. Truptti Bala Sawant (nearly 14,000 votes) of Raj Thackeray's MNS is at the third spot.
Zeeshan Siddique had joined the Ajit Pawar-led faction last month and followed in his father's footsteps. Days after Baba Siddique was shot dead by the infamous Lawrence Bishnoi gang, he had accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi of abandoning him and his father.
Mr Siddique, who had won Vandre East as Congressman in 2019, was expelled from the party earlier this year over allegations of cross-voting during the Legislative Council elections.
Votes are also being counted for the Jharkhand assembly elections and bypolls for 48 parliamentary seats and two parliamentary constituencies in 15 different states. All results will be announced today.