Candidates contesting the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, slated for May 17, are ready to hit the campaign trail in style on Thursday after getting their poll symbols on Wednesday.

The contestants will now try to woo voters by making promises connected to the symbols — allocated according to the alphabetical order of their names.

“My poll symbol is lock and key. Voters should realise that I hold the key to development of the area and they should, therefore, send me back to PMC,” said Gopal Prasad, the sitting councillor of ward number 7, outside Vikas Bhavan.

Mumtaz Jahan, who represents ward number 59 at present, got aeroplane as an election symbol. “I could not have got a better election symbol. Development in my area will only go sky high if I am re-elected to the municipal body of the capital,” said Jahan.

Mayor Afzal Imam, who represents ward number 52, got kite as his symbol. “Kite represents hope and possibilities. People in my area know that I am the only candidate who has been working day and night to solve their civic problems, small and big. They should reward me for that,” he said.

Many others, quietly praying for their lucky symbol, expressed happiness when they got them.

“Last election, I had got table as my poll symbol and this time too, it remains with me. People will easily identify my symbol while voting,” said Balram Chaudhary, contesting from ward number 60.

Total 14 candidates withdrew their nominations on Wednesday, the last date for doing so, leaving 631 candidates in the fray for 71 seats of the PMC.

The fate of one seat, ward number 28 of the PMC, was decided on Wednesday with deputy mayor Vinay Kumar Pappu being declared as elected unopposed. District returning officer Arvind Kumar Tiwari handed him the winning certificate.

An elated Pappu, who has created a record of sorts, said he had achieved the feat owing to his popularity in the area and people loved him for the work he had done in the past decade as ward councillor.

According to the records available with the State Election Commission, 141 nominations were rejected during scrutiny.

Joint election commissioner Ahibhushan Pandey told The Telegraph: “The commission has filed FIRs against several candidates for furnishing wrong or incomplete information in their nominations. However, corresponding reports from all districts have not yet been furnished.”

The election commission will hold a review meet of all district magistrates, senior officials of the police department and home guards among others on May 7 and 8.