179 candidates in fray for 10 LS seats voting in 2nd phase

As many as 179 candidates are in contention from Maharashtra's 10 Lok Sabha seats, which go to poll in the second phase on April 18, an official said.

Nominations of 278 candidates were found valid following scrutiny of papers for the second phase Thursday.

On Friday, 99 candidates withdrew their nominations from Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Buldhana, Akola, Amravati and Hingoli - the seats where polling will be held in the second round.

Former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde (Solapur) and Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan (Nanded) are among the prominent leaders who are in the fray in the second phase.

In the first phase, polling will be held across seven seats on April 11.

As many as 116 candidates are in the fray from Wardha, Nagpur, Ramtek, Bhandara-Gondia, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Chandrapur and Yavatmal-Washim seats covered in the first round.

The rest of the constituencies in Maharashtra, which sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha - the second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80) - will witness polling on April 23 (third phase) and 29 (fourth phase).

Notification for the third round was issued Thursday.

The third phase will cover Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri- Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Raigad, Pune, Baramati, Ahmednagar, Madha, Kolhapur and Hatkanangle seats.

Last date for filing nomination is April 4, while scrutiny of nominations will be held a day later. The last date of withdrawal of candidature is April 8.