Bengaluru: In all, 2,655 candidates are in fray for May 12 State Assembly elections, a data from the state Chief Electoral Office said. Mulbagal constituency in Kolar district has the highest number of contesting candidates with 39 in fray for the seat.

According to the data, of the 3,509 who filed valid nominations for the 224-Assembly segments by the last date on Tuesday, 583 candidates withdrew by Friday and 271 were rejected after their papers were scrutinised on Wednesday.

Of the candidates in the fray, including 219 women, 222 are from the ruling Congress, 224 from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 201 from Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), 1,155 Independents and 800 from other national, regional and fringe parties, according to the final list released by the poll panel.

Polling will be held in a single phase for all the 224-Assembly constituencies in the state, including 36 reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 15 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). Counting of votes will take place on May 15. 

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New Delhi, Nov 9: Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani clinched a historic 28th world title, seventh in a row, defeating England’s Robert Hall 4-2 at the IBSF World Billiards Championship in Doha on Saturday.

Advani’s winning streak had begun in 2016 and has also survived two years (2020, 2021) of vacuum created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hall took an early lead in the opening frame, but the Indian rallied to reach the magic 150 first. He then delivered an astonishing unfinished 147 break in the second frame, leaving Hall stunned. The third frame was a masterclass in tactical brilliance from both finalists.

Advani emerged victorious in the cerebral duel, positioning himself just one frame away from making history.

However, Hall refused to bow out quietly, crafting a flawless 151 break in the fourth frame to keep his hopes alive.

The fifth frame saw Hall on fire once more, delivering another stunning 154 break to level the pressure on Advani.

But the Bengaluru man elevated his game in the sixth frame with a crucial century break. After a series of strategic safety exchanges, the Indian maestro crossed the finish line.

“It feels amazing to be on a winning streak of world billiards titles. It wasn’t easy though. The competition was tough.

“When I was not in full flow, it was my brother Shree, a sports psychologist, who came to the rescue. He helped me stay in the present and kept the scoreboard ticking. This win is for my country and family,” said Advani.

Score (Final): Pankaj Advani (India) beat Robert Hall (England): 151(71)-94(87), 151(147)-0, 150-84, 74(74)-151(151), 6-154(154), 152(105)-46.