106 candidates for Jharkhand's second phase poll

One hundred and sox candidates are in the fray for six Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand where voting will take place in the second phase April 17.

"Total 106 candidates are in poll fray for the second phase of polling in Jharkhand. Ten nomination papers were rejected on technical grounds and four candidates withdrew," an Election Commission official told IANS.

The six Lok Sabha seats to go to polls are Jamshedpur, Giridih, Ranchi, Singhbhum, Khunti and Hazaribagh and the number of candidates trying their luck are 15, 17, 28, 12, 14 and 20 respectively.

Key people whose fate will be decided are Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and Khunti MP Karia Munda (BJP), former central minister and Ranchi MP Subodh Kant Sahay (Congress) and Jamshedpur MP Ajay Kumar (JVM-P).

Important candidates from Ranchi who will be eagerly waiting for the people's verdict are former deputy chief minister and All Jharkhand Students Union president Sudesh Mahto besides former IPS official and Jharkhand State Cricket Association president Amitabh Chaudhary.

Jharkhand will witness polling in three phases -- April 10, 17 and 24.

The third phase of nominations began Saturday.

For the first phase, there are 80 candidates.