NEW DELHI—Congress candidate Dhiraj Deshmukh, son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, is set to win the Latur Rural constituency by a margin of more than one lakh votes. His closest rival? NOTA.
While Dhiraj has received 1,31,321 votes so far, the None of The Above (NOTA) option on the EVM has been chosen by 26,899 people, latest counting trends for the constituency show. The candidate from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance, Ravi Ramraje Deshmukh, was trailing at a distant third position with 13,113 votes.
Latur was a bastion of the former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, and two of his sons are carrying forward the mantle (his third son is actor Riteish Deshmukh). Dhiraj’s brother Amit Deshmukh is also contesting elections. Amit was leading from the Latur City seat by 29,430 votes.