Polling for the Lok Sabha by-elections in Ramtek, Jalgaon and Erandol constituencies in Maharashtra began at 0700 hours on Monday.

The by-election in Ramtek was necessitated after Subodh Mohite, who was elected in 2004 on a Shiv Sena ticket, resigned from the party and the House to join the Congress. He is now a nominee of the Congress in the bypoll.

Although 12 candidates are in the fray in the constituency, the real fight is expected to be among Mohite, Prakash Jadhav of the Shiv Sena and Congress rebel Ranjit Deshmukh, who is contesting as an Independent.

Counting of votes will be taken up on April 12.

In the Jalgaon Lok Sabha constituency, the main contest will be between Arjun Bhangale of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party's Haribhau Jawale, although a total of 11 candidates are in the fray.

Five candidates are in the fray in Erandol, but the main contest will be between Nationalist Congress Party's Vasantrao More and BJP's B S Patil.