24 contenders for Jammu Lok Sabha seat

The 'covering candidate' of Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan (DSS) Kanta Andotra Thursday withdrew her candidature from Jammu parliamentary constituency. With Andotra's withdrawal, a total of 24 candidates remain in fray from the prestigious Jammu seat which along with the Baramulla constituency of north Kashmir will vote in the first phase of the five-phased general elections in the state on April 11.

A covering candidate is someone who files the nomination papers along with the party's main candidate. In case, the nomination of the main candidate is rejected, the covering candidate becomes the official party candidate.

Thursday was the last date for withdrawal of candidature from the two Lok Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir. None of the nine candidate from Baramulla seat withdrew, officials said. The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Jugal Kishore is seeking re-election from Jammu parliamentary seat, while Congress has fielded its senior vice president and former minister Raman Bhalla who is supported by National Conference.

Prominent among other candidates included former BJP minister and founder of DSS Choudhary Lal Singh and veteran national panthers party leader Bhim Singh. The polling will be held on April 11 and the voting hours have been fixed from 7 am to 6 pm.