Phase 5 of LS polls: 695 candidates set to contest across 49 constituencies
New Delhi (PTI): A total of 695 candidates are in the fray across 49 constituencies spread over eight states and Union territories in the upcoming fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission (EC) said on Wednesday.
The figure emerged after the scrutiny of 1,586 nomination forms filed for the fifth phase of the ongoing polls. Of the nominations, 749 were found to be valid after the deadline for filing papers closed on May 3, according to a statement issued by the EC.
The statement said 695 candidates will contest the polls from eight states and Union territories in the fifth phase on May 20.
Maharashtra topped the list with 512 nominations, resulting in 301 valid candidates contesting across 13 constituencies, while Uttar Pradesh followed closely with 466 nominations, leading to 147 valid candidates across 14 constituencies.
The highest number of nominations in a single constituency was seen in Maharashtra's Chatra, which received 69 candidatures, followed by Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh with 67 nominations.
Each constituency in the fifth phase is expected to witness an average of 14 contesting candidates, reflecting a diverse range of political options for the voters.
The state-wise breakdown of the nominations and valid candidates after the scrutiny showcases the dynamic electoral landscape across the country. Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal together form the crux of the fifth phase, encompassing a significant portion of the country's electorate, the statement said.
Three phases of polling have so far been held in the seven-phase election.
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Rajasthan Royals finish third after rain plays spoilsport in their IPL game against KKR
Guwahati, May 19: Rajasthan Royals paid the price for their shoddy show during the business end as a washout of their final IPL league game against table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday pushed them to third place behind Sunrisers Hyderabad.
While KKR finished the league engagements on 20 points with nine wins and two more solitary points courtesy wash-outs, SRH (17 points) pipped RR (17 points) by virtue of better Net Run Rate (NRR). SRH finished with NRR of 0.414 compared to RR's 0.273.
KKR will play Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first Qualifier in Ahmedabad on Tuesday followed by the 'Eliminator' between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the same venue.
Rajasthan Royals would blame themselves for getting into a nice little rut after an incredible run during the first half of the tournament when they had won eight out of their nine games.
But their campaign lost a bit of steam towards the back end as they lost four games on trot and with no Jos Buttler for crunch games, facing a marauding RCB in a winner-takes-all match could be a very tough proposition.
On the other hand, SRH, a team that redefined power-hitting with optimum use of 'Impact Sub', had one of their best chases on Sunday, albeit on a track that once again resembled a highway in terms of its placid quotient. The chase of 215 against a depleted Punjab Kings with five balls to spare also bolstered their NRR just when it was needed.
