Voting for the biennial elections to fill in 10 seats of Maharashtra Legislative Council began at Vidhan Bhavan here today.

The voting began at 0900 hours.

There are 11 candidates in fray and Congress and NCP have fielded three each. While Shiv Sena and BJP have two candidates each. Vijay Sawant is contesting as an Independent backed by Congress.

In the 289 member Legislative Assembly, which is the electoral college for the elections, the Congress has 82 MLAs, NCP 62, BJP 46, Shiv Sena 45, MNS 13, PWP 4, Samajwadi Party 3, Jan Surajya Party 2, Bahujan Vikas Agadhi 2, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, CPM, Lok Sangram, Rashtriya Samaj Party, Swabhimani party one each, Independents 24 and nominated member one.

The quota for first preference votes is 26.28.

The biennial elections are being held to fill in vacancies to be created by retirement of ten members on July 7. Out of the ten outgoing MLCs, Shiv Sena has re-nominated its sitting MLCs Diwakar Raote and Anil Parab, Congress has re-nominated Sanjay Dutt.

The other candidates are Hussain Dalwai and Dipti Choudhary from Congress, Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar, Prakash Binsale and Vinayak Mete from NCP, Shobhatai Phadnvis and Dhananjay Munde from BJP.

MLAs of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly are strictly prevented from carrying mobile, pen or any type of camera to the voting hall.

The MLAs would need to carry their identity cards to the booths and voting would take place from morning nine to four in the evening, he said.

The results are expected to come around seven in the evening after the Election Commission's permission.

Chief minister Ashok Chavan, alongwith the the three Congress candidates, was first to arrive at Vidhan Bhavan.

Shiv Sena MLAs came to vote together.