Mumbai, June 25:  Voting for four Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) seats began on Monday morning at 8 AM and will end at 5 PM. In wake of the ongoing elections in the state, schools and colleges have been given holidays. Also, the education department has directed to grant special leave for the voters.

The four constituencies where polling is underway are Mumbai Graduates constituency, Mumbai Teachers Constituency, Konkan Graduates Constituency and Nashik Teachers Constituency. The Results will be declared for all these four MLC seats on June 28.

It must be noted that the biennial elections have been necessitated as the term of sitting MLCs - Deepak Sawant (of Mumbai Graduate constituency, Shiv Sena), Kapil Patil (of Lok Bharati party - Mumbai Teachers), Niranjan Davkhare (who switched his party from NCP to BJP - Konkan Graduates) and Apoorva Hire (an independent - Nashik Teachers) are expiring on July 7, 2018.

In a graduates' constituency, graduate from any recognised Indian university, or have an equivalent qualification, can cast their vote. While in a teachers' constituency, only a full-time teacher in at least a secondary school or higher is eligible to vote. In Mumbai, there are total 25, 000 teachers out of which only 10, 000 are registered voters who can vote, which is just 50 percent.

The elections are assumed to be significant, after Konkan graduates constituency sitting MLC Niranjan Davkhare left NCP and is contesting elections from BJP this time. Moreover, Shiv Sena has also fielded its party candidate for the first time against him, as until last year Sena's support was with Davkhare. However, as he shifted his party, he will face fierce competition from Sena along with NCP.

Besides, Mumbai's graduate constituency elections will also be keenly watched, after Sena denied ticket to its sitting MLC and Cabinet Minister Deepak Sawant. On his place, Sena has nominated Vilas Potnis who is fighting against BJP's first-time nominee Amit Mehta. Congress and NCP have extended their support to Independent candidate Rajendra Korede in Mumbai. Furthermore, Kapil Patil from Lok Bharati will contest elections against Sena nominee Shivaji Shendge. Patil has the support of Congress and NCP, while BJP is supporting Independent candidate Anil Deshmukh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2018 11:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).