NEW DELHI, 1 April 2004 — Notification for the third phase of Lok Sabha polling on April 26 covering 137 seats spread over 11 states was issued yesterday.
Polling would be held for 32 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, 24 in Maharashtra, 21 in Andhra Pradesh, 17 in Bihar, 13 in Karnataka, 10 in Orissa, eight each in Jharkhand and Assam, two in Goa and one each in Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur. While the last date for filing nominations is April 7, scrutiny will be done the next day and last date for withdrawal is April 10.
Simultaneously notifications were issued for the second phase of assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa. While the second phase in Andhra Pradesh will cover 147 assembly seats, in Karnataka the polling will be held in 104 seats and in Orissa in 70 seats.
Among the candidates seeking election in the third of the five-phase showdown in the world’s largest democracy will be Congress President Sonia Gandhi (Rae Bareli-UP) and her son Rahul Gandhi (Amethi-UP), LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan (Hajipur-Bihar), Defense Minister George Fernandes (Muzaffarpur- Bihar), Petroleum Minister Ram Naik (Bombay North- Maharashtra), film star Govinda (Bombay North) and NCP leader Sharad Pawar (Baramati- Maharashtra).
Meanwhile, senior JD(U) leader and Railway Minister Nitish Kumar today filed his nomination papers for the Barh and Nalanda Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, which go to polls on April 20. JD (U) President and Defense Minister George Fernandes had vacated the Nalanda seat and decided to contest the Muzaffarpur seat. Kumar has expressed confidence about his victory from both the parliamentary constituencies.
On the other hand, the breakaway group of Samata Party has also released its first list of 45 candidates for the polls, including 16 from Bihar and promised a crime-free and corruption-free society in its election manifesto.
Jogi Files Papers
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi yesterday filed his nomination papers from Mahasamund constituency. He will take on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and former central minister Vidya Charan Shukla.
Jogi, suspended from the Congress last year after he was linked to a cash-for-MLAs scam, was rehabilitated on Tuesday by party Sonia Gandhi, who gave him permission to contest the polls. Chief Minister Raman Singh also filed his nomination for the Dongargaon assembly seat.
