Rajya Sabha poll: Congress' Yashomati Thakur denies 'invalid vote', says 'BJP confusing'

Congress leader Yashomati Thakur on Friday exuded confidence in victory for all four Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates in the ongoing Rajya Sabha election. She also claimed that BJP attempted to create confusion over the validity of her vote.

"All four MVA candidates will get elected. BJP knows this and that is why they are trying to create confusion," Thakur said.

Earlier in the day, BJP had raised objections to three votes cast respectively by Yashomati Thakur, NCP's Jitendra Awhad and Shiv Sena's Suhas Kande. Parag Alavani, BJP's polling agent, said that as per rules, the elector has to show ballot to their authorised agent from a safe distance.

However, two of them gave their ballot paper to their agents, while Kande showed it in such a way that two agents of different parties could see it, he added.

Close contest between BJP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra for 6th seat

A total of seven candidates are in the fray for six Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra. While the BJP has fielded Union minister Piyush Goyal, former state minister Anil Bonde and ex-MP Dhananjay Mahadik, the Shiv Sena has given chance to MP Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar. From the Congress, Imran Pratapgarhi is in the election ring, while the NCP has fielded Praful Patel.

The contest is massive for the sixth seat - between BJP's Mahadik and Sena's Pawar. It is pertinent to note that this is after more than two decades that the state is witnessing a contest in the Rajya Sabha polls.

A total of 285 Maharashtra MLAs cast their votes till around 3.30 pm on Friday in the election for six Rajya Sabha seats in the state.

Polling is underway at the Vidhan Bhavan, the state legislature complex in Mumbai. The polling process, which began at 9 am, concluded at 4 pm. The counting will commence at 5 pm.