Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Apr 9: As the last date for withdrawal of nominations passed by on Wednesday April 8 for the first phase of the poll, 274 candidates have remained in fray for 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, after 73 candidates withdrew from the contest on the last day. Ex-chief ministers M Veerappa Moily, Dharam Singh, H D Kumaraswamy, ex-union ministers C K Jaffer Sharief and Anant Kumar, union minister K H Muniyappa, opposition leader in the assembly Mallikarjun Kharge etc., are some of the important personalities whose contest in the ensuing election has been confirmed.
One of the important persons to withdraw his nomination apers was E Krishnappa, a JD(S) leader, who had filed nomination papers in Chikballapur. Minister Revu Nayak Balamagi, ex ministers D B Chandre Gowda, Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, Basavaraj Rayareddi, Iqbal Ansari, Ramesh Jigajinagi, A B Patil, Prakash Hukkeri and ex-union minister Margaret Alva are some others who will be fighting it out in the first phase of Lok Sabha election from the state.
Out of 392 nominations received for the 17 constituencies in the state, 45 had been rejected. Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency has the largest number of contenders at 38, while Chikkodi and Bellary have the least contenders at seven ach.
Wherever the number of candidates is more than 16, multiple number of electronic voting machines would be required. Bangalore Central constituency will require three voting machines while Kolar, Chikballapur, Bangalore South, Bangalore North, Koppal and Bidar constituencies will require two machines each, since the number of candidates in these constituencies exceeds 16.