A total of 229 nominations have been filed by 183 candidates for the five constituencies in the east Vidarbha region of Maharashtra which will vote in the first phase of general polls on April 19, reported news agency PTI.

This information was shared by the office of the State Chief Electoral Officer, reported PTI.

Notably, the deadline for filing nominations expired on Wednesday, reported PTI.

Prominent candidates in the fray for the first phase are Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, state Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar (both BJP), and Pratibha Dhanorkar of Congress.

Voting will be held for Nagpur, Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), Bhandara-Gondiya, Chandrapur, and Ramtek (SC) in the first phase.

In four of the five constituencies, the BJP and Congress are locked in a straight fight while in Ramtek, it is a battle for supremacy between Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and the Grand Old Party.

Gadkari is seeking a third term in Lok Sabha from Nagpur constituency, which houses the RSS headquarters. The Congress has decided to field sitting MLA Vikas Thakre.

A straight fight is also shaping up between Maharashtra forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and Pratibha Dhanorkar of Congress in Chandrapur.

Notably, Chandrapur was the only seat the Congress managed to win in the 2019 general elections in Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha. The seat was won by Pratibha Dhanorkar`s husband Suresh Dhanorkar, who died last year.

In Bhandara-Gondiya, BJP nominee and sitting MP Sunil Mendhe will square off against Congress` Prashant Padole.

In Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) also, there is a straight fight between BJP`s sitting MP Ashok Nete and Congress leader Namdeo Kirsan.

The Congress has fielded former Zilla Parishad president Rashmi Barve from the Ramtek (SC) constituency against Raju Parve, a former MLA of Congress who quit the party and joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena recently.

In Nagpur, 54 candidates filed 62 nominations, as per the information shared by authorities.

In Bhandara- Gondiya, 40 candidates filed 49 nominations. In Gadchiroli-Chimur, 12 contestants submitted 19 nominations. In Chandrapur, 36 candidates submitted 48 nominations.

The process for filing nominations began on March 20. As per the schedule, nominations will be scrutinised on Thursday. The last date of withdrawal of papers is March 30.

As per the data, Ramtek has 20,48,126 registered voters, including 10,44,393 male electors, and 10,03,681 female voters, while 52 belong to the third gender. There are 2,405 polling stations, reported PTI.

The number of registered voters in Nagpur is 22,22,434, including 11,12,739 men, 11,09,473 women, and 222 of the third gender. There are 2,105 polling stations, reported PTI.

In Bhandara-Gondiya, there are 18,26,308 voters, including 9,09,170 men, and 9,17,124 women. The number of polling stations is 2,133.

Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) has 16,16,618 voters, including 8,14,498 men and 8,02,110 women voters, 10 of third gender, with 1,891 polling centres, reported PTI.

The number of registered electors in Chandrapur is 18,37,357. 9,45,468 are men voters and 8,91,841 female voters, while 48 fall under the third gender category. There are 2,118 polling stations, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)

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