Thirty-one candidates, 24 of them independents, are in the fray for the bypoll to the Pennagaram assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu slated for March 27.

According to the Election Commission, out of the 33 validly nominated candidates, two withdrew their candidature Saturday, the last day for doing so, leaving 31 to fight it out.

The run-up to the bypoll attracted the entire nation's attention with around 20,000 voters ordered to be added to the electoral list just before the declaration of the bypoll schedule.

Under the revised tally, the Pennagaram constituency has around 208,000 voters.