NEW DELHI: The total number of nominations for 528 Lok Sabha seats crossed the 7000 mark setting an all-time record at the end of the first phase of poll exercise in 24 states and seven Union Territories.
Elections to the 13 seats in the north eastern state of Assam could not be held along with the rest of the country as electoral polls in the state are not yet complete.
In the 1984, general’ elections, 5493 hopefuls had entered the fray with independents alone being 3878. The ruling Congress (I) entered 517 candidates as against 509 fielded this time.
Prominent among the candidates who withdrew from the electoral race Thursday was Jan Sangh Leader Balraj Madhok, who pulled out from the New Delhi constituency in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Party leader L. K. Adyani. In Punjab former Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala of the Akali Dal (I) withdrew from the Sangrur seat.
This year’s nominations far exceeded the previous highest of 5493 nominations received in 1984. However, the number may be no indicator of the nature of the contest as in the last elections 80 percent of the candidates, mostly independents, lost their deposits.
The BJP has put up candidates in the leftist strongholds of Kerla and West Bengal and also in Orissa, likewise, the communist parties have put up candidates in the Hindu belt.
As the BJP and the communists have little influence in these areas respectively, their candidates are not likely to affect the concept of straight contests.
However the BJP Shiv Sena combine will clash with the Janata Dal and the Congress (I), in Mahatashtra and with the Janata Dal, the Janata party and the Cong. (I) in Karnataka.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 10, 1989
