BJP stalwarts, Mulayam, Amar Singh, Amarinder file nominations

New Delhi, Apr 4: BJP stalwarts Sushma Swaraj,

and Uma Bharti, SP supremo

, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and Congress leader

were among the prominent candidates who filed nominations on Friday for the sixth and seventh phases of Lok Sabha polls.

Union Minister Milind Deora, NCP leader Chagan Bhujbal, RLD leader Amar Singh also entered the contest as the process of filing nominations gained momentum.

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav filed his nomination papers from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, pledging loyalty to his traditional seat and said he was contesting from Azamgarh only to counter Narendra Modi, who is in fray from Varanasi.

Mulayam's friend turned foe Amar Singh, who joined Ajit Singh's RLD recently, filed nominations from Fatehpur Sikri.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Swaraj was accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his wife Sadhna as submitted her nominations in Vidisha, from where she is seeking re-election.

Bharti filed three set of nomination papers from Jhansi while Murli Manohar Joshi entered the fray from Kanpur. Sharad Yadav filed his nomination from Madhepura in Bihar seeking re-election for the fourth time.

Congress leader and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh filed his nomination papers in Amritsar. He was accompanied by his wife Parneet Kaur and several Congress leaders. Singh is pitted against senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley.

Senior Congress leader Gurjit Singh Rana filed papers as the covering candidate for Singh.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Partap Singh Bajwa filed nomination from Gurdaspur along with Vijay Inder Singla from Sangrur.

Manpreet Singh Badal filed nomination as Congress candidate from Bathinda seat. Amritsar goes to poll on April 30, along with Punjab's 12 other constituencies.

State PWD minister Chagan Bhujbal filed his nomination for Nashik Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra where Congress MP and Union Minister of State for Shipping and Telcom Milind Deora and senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya entered the contest from Mumbai South and Mumbai North East seats respectively.

Nominations will close tomorrow for the April 24 election in the sixth phase. The last day for filing nominations for the April 30 election in the seventh phase is April 9.

PTI