Udhhav Thackeray is heading for a predictable win in Mumbai in the first election after a BJP-backed coup led by Eknath Shinde split his Shiv Sena and unseated his government in Maharashtra in June.
Latke, who contested the byelection as the candidate of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction with the support of NCP and Congress, has emerged victorious.
With the counting of votes in the by-elections to the seven Assembly constituencies spread across six states to be held today, the security outside the voting centres was detailed and beefed up ahead of the counting.