Maharashtra Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti Polls: Counting Underway

• Counting of votes for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis in Maharashtra began on Monday morning.
• Elections, originally scheduled for February 5, were held on February 7 after postponement due to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's death.
• The polls recorded a 68.28% turnout among 2.08 crore voters.
• 2,624 candidates contested Zilla Parishad polls and 4,814 for Panchayat Samiti elections.
• NCP factions of late Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar contested in an informal alliance, seen as a test for the party's future.