Tuesday, January 18 2005 10:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In a last-minute rush to beat the deadline, over 1,000 aspirants, including Chief Minister O P Chautala and a number of sitting and ex MLAs, entered the fray as filing of nominations for February 3 one-day poll in Haryana and for the first phase of balloting in Bihar and Jharkhand drew to close last evening (Jan 17, 2005).

More than 550 candidates submitted papers in Haryana, 250 in Jharkhand and almost an equal number in Bihar as State election officials said that the final figure would be known later with details about nominations still pouring in.

Haryana Chief Minister Chautala entered the race from Rori constituency and was pitted against his estranged brother Partap who is contesting as an independent.

Chautala last week filed his papers for Narwana Assembly constituency.

Agriculture Minister Jaswinder Singh Sandhu and former Assembly Speaker Harmohinder Singh Chatha were among the notable candidates who jumped into the electoral arena yesterday for the 90-member Haryana House.