RS rush in states on last day

But as the Congress has only 38 members in the state Assembly and has the strength to get only one candidate elected, it fielded only Nayak, a former bureaucrat.

From Haryana, Indian National Lok Dal’s Ajay Chautala, the elder son of Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala, and chairman of National Minorities Commission Tarlochan Singh, who filed their nominations.

Former Delhi Assembly deputy speaker and Congress leader, Kiran Chaudhry, also filed her nomination papers from Haryana, accompanied by her husband and Haryana Vikas Party general secretary Surinder Singh. She said: ‘‘At this stage we need their (HVP) help and they have supported us.’’

Kolkata businessman Santosh Bagrodiya, renominated by the Congress from Rajasthan, also filed his papers today. Bagrodiya, whose term expires on July 4, accompanied by Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee President Narayan Singh and Leader of Opposition Dr B.D. Kalla, filed his papers at the Vidhan Sabha here.

From Maharashtra, Union Home Minister and Congress leader Shivraj Patil is likely to be elected unopposed.

Only seven nominees remained in the fray on the last day for filing nominations for six seats from Maharashtra today. The nominees include BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan and Shetkari Sanghatana leader Sharad Joshi, contesting on a Shiv Sena ticket.

Sena has fielded Sanjay Raut, editor of its mouthpiece Saamna. Mahajan is the sole BJP candidate.