Mohali, May 20 -- The electoral contest for the upcoming local bodies' elections in Mohali district has narrowed following the withdrawal of nominations. According to district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Komal Mittal, only 695 candidates remain in the fray after 364 withdrawals. According to the revised figures, two candidates have already been elected unopposed in separate municipal councils. The keenest contest continues in the Mohali municipal corporation, where 227 candidates remain in the race for 50 wards after 84 aspirants withdrew their nominations. Of the 12 nominations rejected during scrutiny for the Mohali elections, none belonged to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), making it the only major party to retain all its nominees. The BJP accounted for four rejections, with two each in wards 33 and 35. Its candidates Sangita Sood, 60; Neha, 34; Aanchal Sharma,52, and Aarti Sharma, 26, were rejected. The party also did not field candidates in ward 17 (SC women) and ward 43 (women), leaving it to contest only 21 of the 25 women-reserved wards, including three SC women wards (5, 17 and 29). Congress lost two nominees, Davinder Kaur and Jatinder Kaur, in women ward 39, making it the only ward they are not contesting from. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) saw two rejections, with Harjinder Kaur, 32, from ward 35 and Taranpreet Singh, 27, from ward 50 losing their nominations. SAD district president Parvinder Singh Sohana said the party had consciously chosen not to contest in some wards because it was backing Independent leaders, including Harshdeep Singh Shergill (ward 16) and Paramjit Singh Kahlon (ward 10). Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) sole nominee Vishal Singh was rejected over a nomination fee issue. State BSP president, Avtar Singh Karimpuri, alleged Singh was not given clear information regarding the nomination fee despite carrying the required amount, leading to his rejection on technical grounds. In Dera Bassi municipal council, 69 candidates withdrew from the contest. One candidate from ward no. 19 was declared elected unopposed, leaving 79 candidates to contest the remaining 18wards. This development effectively reduces the number of active contests in the council while signalling consensus or lack of opposition in at least one ward. A similarly uncontested result occurred in Lalru municipal council, where one candidate from ward no. 9 was declared elected unopposed. The local body elections are scheduled to be held on May 26, with counting and result declaration scheduled for May 29....