A total of 1,89,099 candidates are in the panchayat poll fray in the State after the deadline for nomination withdrawal ended on Saturday.
State Election Commission (SEC) Secretary Rabindra Nath Sahu said out of the total 1,89,099, 26,539 are sarpanch candidates, 22,109 are contesting panchayat samiti aspirants and 3,288 zilla parishad (ZP) candidates and 1,37,163 are in the fray for ward member post.
He added, out of total valid nominations, 17,616 candidates have withdrawn their papers.
Meanwhile, campaigning for the panchayat poll started on Sunday after nomination, scrutiny and withdrawal process got over.
Sahu further stated, “The poll campaigning will end at 7 pm on February 11 i.e. 36 hours before poll day on February 13.”