Nine more nomination papers for first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly polls

Nine more candidates filed nomination papers for the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly polls Saturday. This takes the number of candidates who have filed their papers to 11. Polling for 18 constituencies across eight Naxal-affected districts will take place on November 12 in the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections.

On Saturday, two candidates each filed their papers for Rajnandgaon, Antagarh and Dantewada seats and one each for Khairagarh, Dongargarh and Dongargaon, an official said. For Dantewada seat, Congress's Devti Karma and Communist Party of India's (CPI) Nanda Ram Sori filed their papers. Karma is the sitting Congress MLA from Dantewada. Others who filed nomination papers Saturday included Dinesh Singh (Shiv Sena) from Khairagarh and Rajkumar Sahu (Shiv Sena) from Dongargaon.

Nominations cannot be filed on Sunday, it is a holiday, so only two days -- October 22 and 23 -- are now left for filing of nominations for the first phase, the official said. The remaining 72 constituencies in the state will go to the polls on November 20 in the second phase.