For the Phase1(A), 133 candidates are in the fray in 18 Assembly Constituencies of three districts of West Bengal.
While the Trinamool Congress and the BJP have fielded candidates for all 18 seats, Communist Party of India(Marxist) nominated for 11 seats.
Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress have put up candidates in five seats each. The NCP, the AIFB and the CPI are contesting in one seat each and the other registered parties have 55 candidates in total. There are 19 Independent candidates for these 18 seats, a Press Information Bureau release said in Kolkata.
West Bengal election will take place in six phases over seven days from April 4 to May 05.
Altogether 143 nominations were submitted of which 40 were in six seats of Paschim Medinipur, 80 were for nine seats of Purulia and the remaining 23 were for three seats of Bankura.
While candidature of seven contestants were rejected on scrutiny, one candidate withdrew in Paschim Medinipur and two in Purulia thus keeping 133 candidates in the fray after the last date of withdrawal of nominations on March 21, 2016.
Election to six constituencies of Paschim Medinipur, Nayagram (ST), Gopiballavpur, Jhargram, Salboni, Medinipur and Binpur (ST), 9 seats of Purulia, Bandwan (ST), Balarampur, Baghmundi, Joypur, Purulia, Manbazar (ST), Kashipur, Para (SC) and Raghunathpur (SC) will be held on April 4, 2016 along with 3 constituencies of Bankura, Ranibundh (ST), Raipur (ST) and Taldangra, the release said.
