433 candidates file nominations for 26 Lok Sabha seats of Gujarat

A total of 433 candidates have filed their nomination papers for Gujarat's 26 Lok Sabha seats, which will go to polls on May 7. Apart from this, 37 candidates filed their nomination forms for the by-elections to five assembly seats which will also be held on May 7, Joint Chief Electoral Officer AB Patel said in a statement on Saturday.

Earlier, the state information office had said provisionally 491 candidates filed their nomination papers for Lok Sabha and 39 for assembly seats.

"As on April 19, a total of 433 candidates filed their nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections and 37 candidates for the assembly by-elections. Highest number of 38 candidates filed nominations from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, and the lowest number of five candidates from Bardoli," Patel said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is contesting from Gandhinagar. For bypolls, 10 candidates filed nomination forms for Bijapur, which is the highest, while the lowest number of nomination forms filed was six each in Manavdar and Khambhat seats, he said.

Filing of nomination forms for both the Lok Sabha general election and by-elections began on April 12 and ended on April 19. Scrutiny of nomination papers took place on Saturday. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 22, he said.