From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Twenty sets of the nomination papers were filed on Friday, the last day for the nominations, by three candidates — 14 sets by Mallikarjun Kharge, 5 by Shashi Tharoor and one set by former Jharkhand minister K N Tripathi.
Election chief Madhusudan Mistry said he would announce the final list of candidates Saturday evening after the scrutiny and the election will be held on October 17 if there are more than one candidate to necessitate the polling after end of withdrawals on October 8.
Mistry refused to name the proposers of the candidates, but said the nomination papers of Kharge have been signed by 140 party leaders as only 10 can sign on one nomination form. As regards the postal ballot, he said it will be organised if those on the Bharat Jodo Yatra seek it.
Mistry also made it clear that there is no official candidate and all are contesting on their own. He said Sonia has made it clear that neither she nor anyone from the Gandhi family has endorsed anybody and claiming their blessing is not right.
