Nominations of 3,692 candidates found valid: CEO

Battlelines for the May 5 Assembly polls in Karnataka were drawn today as 3,692 candidates were in the fray for the four-cornered contest.
The nominations of 3,692 candidates out of the total 3,945, who had filed their papers, were found to be valid during scrutiny, Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha said citing provisional figures.
The polls holds out the prospect of an interesting battle between the ruling BJP, Congress, JDS and Karnataka Janatha Paksha led by former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, whose influence will be put to key test after his parting of ways with BJP.
Of the total 5,837 nominations filed by 3,945 candidates in all the 224 constituencies, the nominations of 253 candidates were rejected after scrutiny carried out yesterday and day before, taking the total number of valid nominations to 3,692, Jha told reporters here today.

Of the 3,692 candidates whose nominations were found valid, partywise breakup of candidates is INC (224), BJP (223), JDS (222), BSP (180), NCP (30), CPI-M (17) and CPI (9). The number of candidates belonging to unregistered parties stands at 895 while the number of Independents is 1,892.
Jha said only by tomorrow morning "we will get a correct picture of the total number of contesting candidates".

Out of the 224 assembly constituencies, in 95 more than 16 candidates were in fray as of yesterday, he said.
The total electorate for the assembly polls in the state this time is 4,36,14,195, Jha said.

To a question, he said BJP state unit President Prahllad Joshi had written a letter to them seeking additional security in the wake of the April 17 blast near the party office here.
"We have discussed the matter with the police and also brought the matter to the notice of the Election Commission. We will review the situation and if necessary measures will be taken", Jha said.
On the complaint filed by social activist and independent
T J Abraham that the scrutiny of nomination of rival candidate Ashok Kheny, Director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE,) in Bidar South had not been done properly by the Returning officer, Jha said "I will take the report of Deputy Commissioner Bidar on this".