In fray: 513 candidates in 70 Assembly, 90 in 10 lS seats
With filing of nominations for the first phase of elections to 10 lok Sabha and 70 Assembly constituencies having ended on Saturday, the election machinery in nine districts, spread over western, southern and parts of north and central Odisha, is geared up to conduct scrutiny of papers on March 24.
The candidates willing to withdraw their candidature can do so by March 26, according to the Election Commission sources.The polling in the 10 lok Sabha and 70 Assembly seats is scheduled to be held on April 10. The counting of votes would be taken up on May 16.
The elections in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Aska, Brahmapur, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Sundergarh, Nabarangpur and Koraput lok Sabha constituencies would be held in the first phase.The final list of valid candidates in the fray would be published on March 26 from which formal poll campaign by the candidates of various political parties, including Independents, would start.
According to official sources, while 513 candidates have filed their papers in the 70 Assembly constituencies, as many as 90 candidates have filed their nominations in 10 lok Sabha seats paving the way for a multi corner contest in all the seats.