443 candidates remain in fray for 17 LS seats

As many as 443 candidates are in the fray for the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies that are going to the polls in the first phase on April 11.

In all, 60 out of the 503 candidates whose papers were found valid after scrutiny withdrew their nominations on Thursday, the last day of withdrawal.

Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, as expected, has the highest number of 185 contestants as irate farmers who filed nominations in protest against denial of support price for their produce remained unrelenting.

Only four of the 189 candidates whose nominations were found valid withdrew their papers on Thursday, forcing the election authorities to revert to paper ballot for conducting the election. Authorities have commenced efforts to make arrangements for paper ballot in Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency which has 15.53 lakh voters, including 7.37 lakh men and 8.15 lakh women voters, who are set to exercise their franchise in the 1,788 polling stations spread across the seven Assembly



segments.

Elsewhere, Secunderabad has the highest number of 28 candidates in the fray followed by Nalgonda (27), Chevella and Khammam (23 each) and Peddapalli (17).

The election authorities are set to use two electronic voting machines in all the polling booths in these constituencies as each EVM has the capacity to accommodate 16 names, including one slot reserved for the NOTA (none of the above) option.

Medak has the least number of contestants at 10 followed by Adilabad and Nagarkurnool (11 each), Mahbubnagar, Malkajgiri and Zaheerabad (12 each), Bhongir (13), Mahbubabad (14) and Warangal, Karimnagar and Hyderabad (15 each).

Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency has the highest number of 31.49 lakh voters followed by Chevella (24.42 lakh), Secunderabad (19.68 lakh) and Hyderabad (19.57 lakh). Mahbubabad, Peddapalli, Adilabad and Zaheerabad Lok Sabha constituencies have voter strength of close to 15 lakh.