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Mahanta, Antony, Madhavi Mukherjee enter poll fray

Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, senior Congressman A K Antony and Satyajit Ray's favourite heroine Madhavi Mukherjee were among the candidates who filed their nominations on Thursday for the May 10 elections to five state assemblies.

Mahanta filed his papers for Baharampur constituency in Nagaon district along with four of his ministerial colleagues, who were among 36 candidates to file their nominations in Assam. Controversial Tribal Welfare Minister Rajendra Mushahary, who has been accused of rape, also filed his nomination from Gossaigaon.

Antony and four ministers of the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala -- P J Joseph, C K Nanu, K E Ismail and Krishnan Kaniyam Parambil -- were among the 215 candidates to file their nominations in the state. Antony filed his papers from his home constituency Cherthala in Alleppey district.

Madhavi Mukherjee of the Trinamul Congress filed her nomination from Jadavpur constituency from where Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya will seek re-election.

Among other prominent personalities to file their nominations were Sadhan Pandey of the Trinamul Congress and senior Communist Party of India, Marxist, politician Shyamal Chakraborty. In all, 172 candidates entered the fray in West Bengal on Thursday.

The Congress, which released its election manifesto, charged the CPI-M with adopting a strategy of eliminating its political rivals and promised to restore the rule of law if it comes to power in alliance with the Trinamul.

Filing of nominations in the 234 constituencies of Tamil Nadu and 30 in the Union Territory of Pondicherry remained dull on the fourth day, with mostly independents filing their papers.

M Thambidurai, former deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha, filed his papers in Bargur constituency in Dharmapuri district on behalf of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

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