Guwahati, March 20 A total of 116 candidates, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, have filed their nomination papers by Friday for elections to the 126 Assam assembly constituencies, officials said.
A total of 109 candidates filed their nominations on Friday, while seven had done so the previous day.
Besides the chief minister, other prominent candidates who have filed their nominations include Speaker Biswajit Daimary from Tamulpur, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia from Nazira, Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi from Sivasagar, and Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi.
Cabinet ministers Ajanta Neog from Golaghat, Ranjeet Kumar Das from Bhowanipur-Sorbhog, Prashanta Phukan from Dibrugarh, and Ashok Singhal from Dhekiajuli have also filed their nomination papers.
Former BJP president and minister Bhabesh Kalita has also filed his papers from Rangia.
United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL) President Pramod Boro from Tamulpur, and CPI(M)'s sitting MLA Manoranjan Talukdar from Bhowanipur-Sorbhog also filed their nominations on Friday.
Former state Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora from Barchalla, former Congress minister Pranatee Phukan from Naharkatiya, and sitting MLA Nurul Huda from Rupahihat have also filed their nominations on Friday.
The last date for filing nomination papers is March 23, scrutiny of papers will be held the next day, and the last date of withdrawal is March 26.
Elections to the 126-member assembly will be held on April 9, and the votes will be counted on May 4.