Pune: Rahul Kul, BJP’s candidate and incumbent MLA, clinched a decisive victory in the Daund Assembly constituency by a margin of 13,889 votes. This marks Kul’s third consecutive win, following his triumphs in the 2014 and 2019 assembly elections.

The counting of votes commenced at 8:30 AM at the government grain warehouse near Nagar Mori, Ahilyanagar National Highway. The process was overseen by Election Returning Officer and Deputy Collector Ganesh Markad, with Senior IAS Officer M. Gautami acting as the Election Observer.

Of the 319,311 registered voters, 236,873 exercised their voting rights, with 235,479 votes validated. The election featured 14 candidates, including one woman.

Rahul Kul initially led by 4,748 votes after the first round of counting. Though his closest competitor, Ramesh Thorat of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction, temporarily gained ground in the fifth and sixth rounds, Kul quickly regained his lead. By the 22nd round, his lead had grown to 13,755 votes, and he ultimately secured a margin of 13,889 votes.

In addition to the EVM votes, the constituency saw 1,455 postal ballots, of which 183 were invalidated. Kul received 697 postal votes, while Thorat garnered 714.

The official result was announced by Election Returning Officer Ganesh Markad, declaring Kul the winner. Kul, accompanied by his wife Kanchan Kul, accepted the certificate of victory amid applause from party workers.

This win is significant for BJP, as it marks the first time a BJP candidate has secured consecutive victories in the Daund constituency. Celebrations erupted among party members, with leaders like district president Vasudev Kale and city president Swapnil Shah joining the jubilations.