Ranchi, Oct 24 : Thursday saw a significant show of strength in Jharkhand as more than 100 prominent candidates filed their nomination papers for the upcoming Assembly elections.

From major cities to smaller towns, rallies and public meetings were held throughout the day, with political figures from across the spectrum showcasing their influence.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led the charge, filing his nomination from the Barhait seat in Sahibganj district. Other key JMM candidates who filed their nominations on Thursday include Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato from the Nala seat, Kalpana Soren from Gandey, and Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji from Ranchi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also made its presence felt, with Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri filing his nomination from Chandankiyari in Bokaro district.

Other BJP heavyweights who filed their papers included former Assembly Speaker Chandreshwar Prasad Singh from Ranchi, Meera Munda (wife of former Union Minister Arjun Munda) from Potka, Purnima Das Sahu (daughter-in-law of Odisha Governor Raghubar Das) from Jamshedpur East, and former Ministers Bhanu Pratap Shahi from Garhwa and Neera Yadav from Koderma.

Apart from this, ex-IPS officer Dr Arun Oraon filed his nomination from the Sisai seat, and former Union Minister Sudarshan Bhagat from Gumla, along with 32 other BJP candidates who filed their nominations on Thursday.

Among Congress candidates, notable figures such as Minister Dr Irfan Ansari (Jamtara), Minister Dr Rameshwar Oraon (Lohardaga), national spokesperson Dr Ajay Kumar (Jamshedpur East), Minister Banna Gupta (Jamshedpur West), and Minister Deepika Pandey Singh (Mahagama) filed their nominations.

Candidates of the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) Party also filed nominations, including Lambodar Mahto from Gomia, Neru Shanti Bhagat from Lohardaga, and Ramchandra Sahis from Jugsalai.

Subhash Prasad Yadav (Koderma) of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and former Minister Girinath Singh (Garhwa) of the Samajwadi Party also filed their nominations.

The elections in Jharkhand will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase is October 25, while the deadline for the second phase is October 29.

/IANS