491 candidates file nominations for Gujarat's 26 Lok Sabha seats

Ahmedabad: A total of 491 candidates have filed nomination forms for the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat where elections will be held in the third phase on May 7, officials said on Saturday.

As many as 227 candidates filed their papers on Friday, the last day of submission.

Also, 39 candidates filed nominations for by-elections to five assembly seats, to be held on the same day, with 13 of them filing their papers on Friday, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer said in a release.

Of total 491 forms, 76 were submitted by BJP candidates, 60 by Congress, seven by AAP, 188 by independents and 160 by candidates of other, smaller parties. For the assembly byelections, BJP candidates filed ten forms, Congress 12, independents 16 and another party one.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, state BJP President C R Paatil, Congress leader Amit Chavda and Aam Aadmi Party's Chaitar Vasava and Umesh Makwana filed their papers on Friday.