128 candidates in fray for Shimla corporation elections

Shimla, May 4 (UNI) A total of 128 candidates are in the fray for the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections on May 23 after 94 applications were received on the last date of the nominations today, Returning Officer for the elections Tarun Kapoor said.

''In all, 128 candidates are in fray for the 25 wards of the SMC elections,'' he said in a release here.

Mr Kapoor, who is Shimla Deputy Commissioner too, said the nomination papers would be examined tomorrow, while candidates could withdraw from the contest up till Monday (May seven).

Wards eight (Tutikandi), eleven (Krishna Nagar) and 25 (Kanlog) would witness direct contest between the Congress and the BJP after the BJP covering candidate withdraws from the contest in these wards by May seven, he said.

He said the maximum number of candidates were from Chamyana and Kasumpati wards where 11 candidates from each ward were contesting the corporation elections.

Ward no two, three, seven and 18 would witness a triangular contest between the Congress, BJP and the independents, he added.

UNI