Chandigarh Jan 16 (IANS) A total of 1,080 candidates are finally left in the fray for the Jan 30 elections for Punjab’s 117 assembly seats after the last date of withdrawal of nominations Monday.

“Total 1,080 candidates remain in the field for the Punjab assembly elections 2012 after the withdrawal of nominations by candidates,” a spokesperson of the chief electoral officer’s (CEO’s) office said Monday evening.

The spokesperson said that after scrutiny of the nominations filed, papers of 1,259 candidates were found valid.

“Total 173 candidates have withdrawn their nomination papers today (Monday),” the spokesperson said.

The highest number of candidates, 16 each, are in the fray in Ludhiana East, Patiala Rural and Jalalabad constituencies.

Akali Dal president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is seeking re-election from the Jalalabad assembly constituency.

Over 900 nominations were filed on Thursday (Jan 12), the last date of filing nominations for elections.

Polling is to be held Jan 30 and counting of votes would take place on March 6 following a revised polls calendar.

The main contest is between the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine and the Congress party. With the newly floated People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), led by former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also in the fray, the contest for many seats will be triangular or multi-cornered.

Rebels of the Congress and the Akali Dal are also in the fray in some constituencies.