34 candidates file nominations for Gautam Budh Nagar seat

The scrutiny of applications will take place on April 5 (Friday) and April 8 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature

A total of 34 candidates from Gautam Budh Nagar has filed their nominations to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, district officials said on Thursday evening, after the time for nomination filing ended.

The number of nominations filed this time has exceeded that of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when 21 candidates had filed nominations and 13 candidates contested the elections. (HT Photo)

The number of nominations filed this time has exceeded that of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when 21 candidates had filed nominations and 13 candidates contested the elections, said district officials.

There was some rush on at the collectorate in Surahpur on Thursday, with 16 candidates turning up to file their papers on the last day of the process.

The scrutiny of applications will take place on April 5 (Friday) and April 8 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature. Gautam Budh Nagar goes to polls in the second phase of elections on April 26.

District magistrate and chief electoral officer Manish Kumar Verma said, “34 nominations have been filed by candidates for Lok Sabha elections. On Thursday, a total of 16 candidates filed their nomination papers. These include nominations from candidates fielded by Samajwadi Party (SP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), independents and others from lesser known parties.”

Officials said of the total nominations filed, 25 candidates are fighting as independents.

“While the rest of the candidates are backed by political parties such as BJP, SP, BSP, the maximum number of candidates are fighting as independents,” Verma said.

They include Mahesh Kumar Soni, Ritu Sinha, Mohammed Mumtaz Alam, Praveen Sharma, Sanjeev Kumar, Babli, Ikhlak, Rodas Gupta, Mahakar Singh, and others.

Candidates backed by parties include Shyoraj Singh, Naresh Nautiyal, Kishor Singh, Rajeev Mishra, Kumari Shalu, Manish Kumar Dwivedi and others, said the electoral office, Gautam Budh Nagar.

From BJP, sitting MP Mahesh Sharma, who won the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019, filed his nomination on Wednesday.

BSP candidate Rajendra Singh Solanki filed his papers on Tuesday and SP’s Mahendra Singh Nagar filed his nomination on Monday, said officials.

The Lok Sabha constituency of Gautam Budh Nagar, which comprises the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida and covers five assembly constituencies, has over 2.6 million registered voters.