Star footballer and Trinamool candidate Bhaichung Bhutia and senior BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, the GJM-backed BJP candidate from Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat were among the 47 candidates who filed nominations in West Bengal's four Lok Sabha seats for the first phase poll on April 17.
"Altogether 47 candidates have filed their papers till the last day for filing nominations for the first phase of polls today. They will be scrutinised tomorrow, while the last day of withdrawal is on March 29," assistant CEO Amitjyoti Bhattacharya said here.
Alongwith Bhutia and Ahluwalia, there were altogether four contestants each from Trinamool Congress, BJP, Congress and BSP, two from the CPI(M), one each from the RSP and Forward Bloc and 19 from other recognised political parties, besides eight Independents, who filed their nomination.
With this, the total number of nominations filed for the four Lok Sabha seats - Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling - stood at 12, 10, 12 and 13 respectively.
Bhattacharya said the Commission has issued symbols today for all 19 recognised political parties contesting the state's first phase of polls on April 17.
