Wednesday, January 19 2005 11:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Nomination papers of over 400 aspirants, mostly covering candidates, were rejected yesterday (Jan 18, 2005) during scrutiny for the one-day Assembly polls in Haryana and for the first phase of the exercise in Bihar and Jharkhand slated for February 3.

No documents of any political stalwart were rejected as the second phase of the electoral exercise came to close last evening.

Over 318 nominations were found invalid in Haryana, where more than 1,100 hopefuls had entered the fray for 90 Assembly seats up for grabs.

The key contestants trying their luck in the State include Chief Minister and INLD (Indian National Lok Dal) supremo Om Prakash Chautala and his estranged brother Pratap who are locking horns in Rori constituency.

Former Chief Minister Bhajal Lal, his son Chander Mohan and former HPCC (Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee) chief Shamsher Singh Surjewala are other prominent contestants.

Nearly 850 nominations were found valid during scrutiny for 64 Assembly seats in Bihar going to polls in the first phase.

The State election office said that papers of 36 hopefuls were rejected, as they did not submit documents required at the time of filing nominations.

Senior Congress leader and Assembly Speaker Sadanand Singh, RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) Ministers Jagdanand Singh and Shakeel Ahmed Khan and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) Legislature Party leader Ashwini Kumar Choubey are among the notable candidates who have entered the electoral race.

Sixty-four constituencies spread over 12 districts, including naxalite-hit Gaya, Jehanabad and Aurangabad, will witness the first phase of balloting on February 3 in Bihar.

Altogether 86 constituencies will go to polls in the second phase on February 15 and the remaining 93 in the third and final phase on February 23.

In Jharkhand, an RJD nominee was among those whose nomination papers were rejected.