Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, former chief ministers Hemananda Biswal and Giridhar Gamang were among 766 candidates in fray in the first phase of polls to 10 parliamentary and 70 assembly seats in Odisha on April 10, official sources said today.
After the withdrawal of 48 candidates, a total of 668 candidates remained in the fray for 70 assembly seats.
There are 98 candidates contesting for 10 Lok Sabha seats with none withdrawing, though papers of two have been rejected.
Former chief minister Giridhar Gamang was the Congress candidate from Koraput Lok Sabha seat while another former CM Hemananda Biswal was the Congress candidate from the Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat.
Former union minister and sitting Kalahandi MP Bhakta Charan Das, sitting Congress MP from Nabarangpur Pradeep Majhi, BJD MP Kalikesh Singhdeo from Bolangir and party MP Siddhant Mohapatra from Berhampur were also in the race.
Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha seats.
Three-time Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was seeking re-election from the Hinjili assembly seat.
A total of 793 nomination papers were filed for 70 assembly constituencies which will go to polls in the first phase out of 147. Of them 716 nominations were found valid and 48 candidates withdrew their nominations.