31 May, 15:27 (IST)

NCP's Madhukar Kukde wins the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat, a major setback for BJP. After losing Kairana and Bhandara-Gondia constituencies, BJP down to 272 in Lower House, read our special report here. 

31 May, 13:44 (IST)

NCP's Madhukar Kukde is leading by around 20,000 votes against BJP's Hemant Patle from Bhandara-Gondia constituency. NCP is all set to claim this seat. 

31 May, 11:17 (IST)

NCP's Madhukar Kukde gets a massive lead against BJP's Hemant Patle as per current trends coming from Bhandara-Gondia constituency. This can be a decisive lead as the results for last few rounds are left. 

31 May, 10:02 (IST)

NCP candidate Madhukar Kukde is leading against BJP's Hemant Patle from Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat by around thousand votes. Earlier trends showed a swing towards the BJP candidate. 

31 May, 08:49 (IST)

The first trends from Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha By-Election show BJP candidate Hemant Patle is leading. EVM votes are yet to be counted. 

31 May, 08:21 (IST)

The contest in Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat is between BJP's Hemant Patle and NCP's Madhukar Kukde who is backed by the Congress, Shiv Sena, RPI and CPI.

31 May, 08:04 (IST)

Counting starts for Bhandara-Gondia By-Elections, the results and first trends are expected to come out soon. 

Bhandara, May 31: The Election Commission is scheduled to declare the results of Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypoll today. The seat was contested on May 28, primarily between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Notably, Congress, the prime Opposition party, backed out of the by-election contest, along with the Shiv Sena, the ruling coalition partner in Maharashtra. Stay tuned here for the live news and updates.

In the voting held on Monday, Bhandara-Gondia witnessed a 42-per cent electoral turnout. Polling was marred in the constituency by widespread EVM glitches, which forced the Election Commission to order re-polling in 49 booths on Wednesday.

Bhandara-Gondia By-Election 2018: Factsheet

Last Winner: In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the seat was wrested by BJP's Nana Patole from NCP heavyweight Praful Patel. The victory was considered to be a massive setback for the NCP as Bhandara-Gondia was considered as one of its bastions.

Reason for bypoll: The by-election was necessitated due to the resignation of incumbent BJP MP Nana Patole. The lawmaker resigned from the Lok Sabha citing "disillusionment" with the ruling Narendra Modi government at the Centre. Patole, ahead of his resignation, claimed the Prime Minister had "shut him down" when he raised the issue of farmers in the parliamentary meeting.

Candidates in Fray: The BJP had fielded ex-MLA Hemant Patle to take on NCP's Madhukar Kukde. The latter has been backed by the Congress, Shiv Sena, RPI and CPI.

The bypoll results are keenly awaited as, pollsters claim, it would reflect the electoral mood of Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, both slated for 2019.