78 contestants in fray for second phase LS poll in Bengal

Seventy-eight contestants remained in fray for the second phase Lok Sabha election on April 24 in West Bengal after the scrutiny of nominations, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sunil Gupta said here today.
The six Lok Sabha constituencies going to the poll in the second phase are Raiganj, Balurghat, Malda (North), Malda (South), Jangipur and Murshidabad.
After the scrutiny, there will be 12 contestants each in Raiganj, Balurghat and Murshidabad seats, while 17 in Malda (South) and 14 in Malda (North).
He said 11 contestants were in the fray for Jangipur seat in Murshidabad district.
Nominations of two candidates, one from Balurghat and the rest from Malda (North), were found invalid during the scrutiny, the CEO said.

Altogether 56 candidates have filed papers for the third phase of election including music director Bappi Lahiri, a BJP contestant from Serampore seat in Hooghly district.

The candidates who have filed nominations from nine Lok Sabha constituencies for the April 24 poll are eight each from Howrah, Uluberia and Birbhum, five each from Hooghly, Burdwan- Durgapur and Bolpur, 7 from Burdwan (East), six from Serampore and five from Hooghly.
The last date for filing of nominations is is April 9.
The four parliamentary seats Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, which are going to poll on April 17 in the first phase, have 47 contestants altogether.