Lok Sabha: 204 candidates in the fray for 8 Maharashtra seats that will go to polls on Apr 26

A total of 204 candidates are in the fray for eight Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra that will go to polls in the second phase on April 26, an official said on Monday.Monday was the last date for withdrawal of nominations, he added.There were 299 valid nominations.

A total of 204 candidates are in the fray for eight Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra that will go to polls in the second phase on April 26, an official said on Monday.

Monday was the last date for withdrawal of nominations, he added.

''There were 299 valid nominations. Of these 204 remain in the fray in Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded and Parbhani,'' he said.

In Parbhani, seven candidates withdrew their nomination forms, leaving 34 contestants in the fray, an official said.

Ruling alliance candidate Mahadev Jankar, who is also president of Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, has been allotted the symbol 'whistle', he added. Jankar will take on MP Sanjay Jadhav of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Panjabrao Dakh (Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi). In Hingoli, a total of 33 candidates will fight the polls after 15 Independents withdrew their nominations.

The main contest will be between Baburao Kadam of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Nagesh Patil Ashtikar of the Shiv Sena (UBT).