Mumbai, April 25 (UNI) All preparation have been completed for the April 26 polling in five constituencies of Vidharbha region and three in Marathwada in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.
These constituencies are Buldhana, Washim-Yewatmal, Akola, Amravati and Wardha from Vidharbha and Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani in Marathwada region.
According to the Election Commission, a total of 204 candidates are contesting election in the second phase from the state, while 1.49 crore voters will exercise their rights.
The EC has set up a total of 16,589 polling stations, equipped with ballot units, control units, and VVPAT machines.
There is a direct fight between Mahayuti and Mahavikas Aghadi on every seat. While Vanchit Bahujan Agadhi (VBA) will pose challenge to both the fronts.
In Buldhana, sitting Shinde Sena MP Prataprao Jadhav is pitted against UBT nominee Narendra Khedkar.
In Wardha, BJP's sitting MP Ramdas Tadas will face NCP-SCP's Amar Kale.
In Akola, the BJP has fielded sitting MP Anup Dhotre's son Sanjay Dhotre, who will take on VBA chief Adv Prakash Ambedkar and Congress candidate Abay Kashinath Patil.
In Amravati sitting Independent MP Navnit Rana, will be contesting election on a BJP ticket against Congress nominee Balwant Wankhede and Dinesh Bub of Bacchu Kadu-led Prahar party.
Rajshree Patil wife of sitting MP Hemant Patil of Shinde Sena will contest on the Washim-Yavatmal seat against UBT nominee Sanjay Deshmukh as MVA candidate. Five-time Sena MP from this seat, Bhavana Gawali was given rest this time.
In Marathwada, from Nanded, sitting BJP MP Pratap Patil Chiklikar is contesting against Congress nominee and former MLA Vasant Chavan.
In Parbhani, Rastriya Samaj Party (RSP) president Mahadev Jankar is the Mahayuti candidate against sitting UBT MP Sanjay alias Bandu Jadhav.
While in Hingoli, Baburao Kadam (Shinde Sena) is pitted against Uddhav Thackeray group's Nagesh Patil Astikar.

Almost all top leaders of major political parties have held back-to-back rallies and road shows in the two regions, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J P Nadda, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Sena UBT chief and former CM Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aditya Thackeray, NCP SCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his party National President Mallikarjun Kharge, MPCC president Nana Patole
Besides state Dy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar among others, as well as Bollywood actor Govinda who recently joined Shinde Sena and did a roadshow in Buldhana.
Security has been tightened in the region and election material was distributed this morning from district and taluka headquarters to concerned election officials of these constituencies, said sources.
No untoward incident have been reported from these five districts during campaigning, police sources said.
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