Assam: Two nominations rejected in first phase polls during scrutiny

The nomination papers of two candidates, one each from Kaziranga and Sonitpur seats, were found invalid during scrutiny on Thursday, an election official said.

Altogether 38 contestants have filed nominations for five constituencies which will go to polls in the first phase in the state on April 19.

The papers of the Republican Party of India (Athawale) nominee Faisal Ahmed Majumdar in Kaziranga, and those of independent candidate Mahendra Orang in Sonitpur were rejected, the official said.

The papers of the remaining 36 candidates in all five constituencies were found to be valid. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 30.

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Kaziranga has the highest number of 11 candidates, followed by nine in Lakhimpur, eight in Sonitpur, five in Jorhat and three in Dibrugarh.

The prominent candidates contesting in the first phase are Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Lok Sabha Deputy leader of the opposition and Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, sitting MPs Topon Gogoi and Pradan Baruah, Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and BJP MLA Ranjit Dutta.

In the outgoing Lok Sabha, BJP held nine seats, Congress three, AIUDF and an independent one each from the state.