A total of 264 candidates are in the fray for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Maharashtra after 37 contestants withdrew their nominations, an official said on Monday, reported news agency PTI.

These comprise 18 in Dhule, 10 in Dindori, 31 in Nashik, 10 in Palghar, 27 in Bhiwandi, 28 in Kalyan, 24 in Thane, 19 in Mumbai North, 21 in Mumbai North West, 20 in Mumbai North East, 27 in Mumbai North Central, 15 in Mumbai South Central and 14 in Mumbai South.

These 13 seats will go to polls on May 20.

Meanwhile, a voter turnout of 6.64 per cent was recorded till 9 am on Tuesday as polling was underway in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra during the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported PTI.

Latur recorded 7.91 per cent polling, Sangli 5.81 per cent, Baramati 5.77 per cent, Hathkanangale 7.55 per cent, Kolhapur 8.04 per cent, Madha 4.99 per cent, Osmanabad 5.79 per cent, Raigad 6.84 per cent, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg 8.17 per cent, Satara 7 per cent and Solapur 5.92 per cent, reported PTI.

Among the early voters included state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP candidate from Baramati, and his mother Asha Pawar.

They cast their votes at a polling booth in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Pune district.

Sunetra Pawar is pitted against Supriya Sule, the sitting MP from Baramati.

NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar, his wife Pratibha, daughter Supriya Sule and her family, MLA Rohit Pawar and his family also voted in Baramati.

Actor couple Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh cast their votes in Latur, while Union minister Narayan Rane voted in Sindhudurg.

Ritesh Deshmukh is the son of Congress leader and former state chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Rane is the BJP candidate from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat.

Prominent contestants also include royal scions Shahu Chhatrapati of the Congress in Kolhapur and BJP`s Udayanraje Bhosale in Satara.

Voting began at 7 am across the 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

A total of 2.09 crore persons are eligible to vote for 258 candidates in the third phase, for which 23,036 polling centres have been set up, an election official said.

There are 1,07,64,741 male voters, 1,02,26,946 female voters and 929 from the third gender.

(With inputs from PTI)

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