377 left in fray in State’s 48 seats

MUMBAI, February 7: There has been a record decline in the number of candidates contesting the 48 constituencies in Maharashtra in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections to be held on February 22 and 28.

Only 377 candidates, including 24 women, are left in the fray as compared to 1,065 candidates in 1996. Today being the last date for withdrawal, a total of 103 out of 480 candidates withdrew their nominations. According to Chief Electoral Officer D K Sankaran the largest number of 23 candidates are contesting from Mumbai North-East while Satara has only two in the fray.

In Mumbai the equations are thus: South Mumbai: 10 candidates, prominent among them Murli Deora, Jaywantiben Mehta; South Central (6) Mohan Rawle, Sharad Rao, S Lokhandwala; North Central (7) Narayan Athawale, Ramdas Athawale; North East 23 Pramod Mahajan, Gurudas Kamat; North West (11) M Sarpotdar, Tushar Gandhi, A A Khan; North (14) Ram Naik, Ram Pandgale.

In Kulaba, where former chief minister A R Antulay is taking on Anant Tare, thereare 9 contestants.