Counting of votes for five Maharashtra Legislative Council seats began on Tuesday, in contests that will test the ruling Mahayuti alliance's ability to manage internal differences and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) efforts to benefit from divisions among its rivals.

A total of 182 candidates are contesting three graduates' and two teachers' constituencies, which together have 10,68,072 registered voters. Polling was held on October 23 across 2,419 polling stations, with an overall turnout of 72.96 per cent, according to officials. The election process is scheduled to conclude by October 31.