1,715 to try their luck in 124 seats in Round I

NEW DELHI: As many as 1,715 candidates are in the fray for 124 Parliamentary seats going to polls in the first phase on April 16, though barely 122 of them belong to the fairer sex. Releasing the data, the Election Commission informed said though the average for candidates per constituency was 13.83, Mehboobnagar in AP and Raipur in Chhattisgarh had the highest number of contestants at 32.

AP and Orissa are scheduled to have a simultaneous round of assembly polls on April 16, followed by a second round on April 23.

Even as Parliament debates 33% quota for women, an effort on these lines is clearly missing given the parties��� choice of candidates. Merely 122 women candidates are testing their electoral fortunes in the first phase, as against 1,593 male hopefuls.

As the poll scene hots up, there is a regular flow of complaints into Nirvachan Sadan regarding violation of the model code of conduct and objectionable campaign speeches. Deputy EC R Balakrishnan on Wednesday said the EC had sought details from the UP CEO regarding the complaint filed by BJP leader Maneka Gandhi against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav���s recent threat of running a road-roller over her son Varun Gandhi���s chest. Maneka is said to have sought arrest of Mr Yadav under NSA.

The EC, Mr Balakrishnan said, has also received the replies of Mr Jaswant Singh in the cash-distribution complaint against him and from home minister P Chidambaram in the case alleging that he had raised poll-related issues during an official visit to Rajasthan border.

The CDs of Mr D Srinivas allegedly ���communal��� speech and of currency notes being handed to voters in Mumbai by SP candidate Abu Azmi have also been received, as has been the transcript of Mr Yadav���s remarks in Kishanganj. The EC, which has also viewed the CD of Ms Rabri Devi making personal remarks against Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and JD(U) leader Rajeev Ranjan Singh Lallan, is likely to consider all above inputs at a full commission meeting soon.
The full panel is due to meet as soon as one of election commissioners returns from his north-east visit.