As many as 222 candidates have filed their papers for 13 of the 81 Jharkhand Assembly seats in the first phase of polling to be held on November 25. A total of 168 candidates filed their papers on the last day of nominations on Wednesday.
Scrutiny will take place on November 7 while the last date for withdrawal is on November 10, according to an Election Commission release. Prominent among the candidates for the first phase are Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Krishna Nand Tripathi (Congress-Daltonganj), PCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat (Lohardaga-ST), sitting MLAs Kamal Kishore Bhagat (AJSU- Lohardaga), Sudha Choudhary (JDU-Chhatarpur-SC) and Radha Krishna Kishore (BJP-Chhatarpur).
Former Assembly Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari fielded his son Dilip Singh Namdhari from Daltonganj as an Independent.
Former MP Kameshwar Baitha, who left the path of extremism, also filed his papers from Chhatarpur (SC) on Samajwadi Party ticket. Former Agriculture minister and BJP leader Satyanand Bhokta, who joined Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric) after being denied ticket, filed his papers from Chatra (SC) seat.
RJD’s state unit president and former minister Girinath Singh is also in the fray from Garhwa. Former ministers Bhanu Pratap Sahi (Navjawan Shangharsh Morcha) and Ramchandra Keshri (JVM) have filed papers from Bhawanathpur seat.