According to the Election Commission of India (ECI) website, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Rajabhau Waje is currently leading in Nashik Lok Sabha constituency over Eknath Shinde faction nominee Hemant Godse by 22,726 as per the 12:30pm update. Currently, Waje has 1,04,532 votes while Godse has 81,806. Independent candidate Shantigiri Maharaj is on the third spot with 13,618 votes. Meanwhile, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) workers celebrated even before the final results were announced.
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Godse, who was elected as the Shiv Sena (united) nominee in the 2014 and 2019 elections, was pitted against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Rajabhau Waje. However, his nomination was announced very late as NCP leader and Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal was keen on contesting the seat. The Samata Parishad founder ultimately opted out of the race paving the way for BJP and Shiv Sena to take the negotiations forward.
Incidentally, both Godse and Waje hail from the politically-influential Maratha community which has been a dominant player in the constituency. Besides, Shantigiri Maharaj is the successor of Janardan Swami with a huge following across the country with 115 ashrams and 7 Gurukuls.
Meanwhile, in the Nashik constituency, 61 per cent of polling was recorded in Lok Sabha elections 2024.
