New Delhi, March 29
Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma, BJP Vice-President Babulal Marandi and former Delhi Police Commissioner Nikhil Kumar were among over 200 aspirants who entered the electoral race today as filing of nominations for the first phase of the staggered Lok Sabha poll gathered steam today.Flanked by BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Advani filed his papers from the Gandhinagar Parliamentary seat.
Mr Advani is seeking election from Gandhinagar for the fourth time, the third in succession.
Union Minister of State for Health and BJP leader Vallabh Kathiriya filed his papers from the Rajkot Lok Sabha constituency.
Another notable candidate to jump into the poll arena from Gujarat, where in all 65 candidates today filed their nominations, was state BJP chief Rajendrasinh Rana. He entered the fray from Bhavnagar.
Nationalist Trinamool Congress leader Sangma was among three candidates who filed papers for two Lok Sabha seats in Meghalaya.
State’s Public Works and Information Technology Minister and Congress candidate Mukul Sangma, pitted against Mr P.A. Sangma, also submitted his papers.
Majlis-Ittehadul-Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi was among 15 aspirants who entered the fray for the 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh.
Mr
Marandi, former Chief Minister, entered the fray from the Koderma Lok Sabha seat in Jharkhand where 14 more threw their hats into the ring today.
Former Delhi top cop Nikhil Kumar and JD(U) sitting MP Arun Kumar were among 30 aspirants who filed their papers for the 11 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.
Mr Nitish Kumar, contesting on the Congress ticket, entered the race from Aurangabad where his wife Shyama had won in 1999.
Amidst much fanfare, former Union Minister and BJP Karnataka chief H.N. Ananth Kumar filed his papers for Bangalore (South).
Congress veteran Shivraj Patil, Union Minister Subodh Mohite and sitting MPs Bhawana Gawli and Prakash Ambedkar were among 31 candidates who filed their papers from Maharashtra.
Mr Shivraj Patil submitted his second set of nomination papers from the Latur constituency. He had earlier filed papers from the same constituency on March 27.
Three Shiv Sena nominees — Subodh Mohite (Ramtek), Bhawana Gawli (Washim) and Kalpana Narhire (Osmanabad) — also jumped into the electoral race today.
— PTI
