Voters will have to choose between 118 candidates contesting seats in 32 Bradford Council wards when they go to the polls next month.

The ruling Conservative group is defending 15 seats, Labour nine, Liberal Democrats five, British National Party two and the Green Party one.

The only potential Independent, Prince Mohammed Yusuf in the Bingley Rural ward, was ruled out due to the wrong polling district reference on his nomination papers.

The Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats are contesting every seat. The BNP has a record 16 candidates and there are seven people standing for the Green Party.

Key figures fighting for their seats on May 4 include David Ward, former executive member and deputy group leader for the Liberal Democrats. He was first elected for Idle and Thackley in 1984.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Conservative Councillor Valerie Binney's seat in Thornton and Allerton is also being contested. Her Labour rival is Susanne Rooney, wife of the Bradford North Labour MP Terry Rooney.

Six councillors are standing down including Labour's long-serving John Prestage, who has been the representative for Keighley Central since 1998. Also Reis Khan, elected for the Conservatives in Manningham in 2004, is not standing this time.

And the City ward's seat is open as the Conservatives' Khadam Hussain was dismissed from the Council last month for not attending any meetings for six months.

The BNP's Chris Kirby is making way for his party colleague John Joy to stand in Worth Valley. The pair were among four men from Keighley arrested in 2004 by police investigating race hate crimes following a BBC documentary. They were both released without charge

And, in Wibsey, BNP Councillor Arthur Redfearn is to switch to Tong, allowing Andrew Clarke to try in his place.

Wards likely to be hotly contested include Great Horton and Idle and Thackley, which both have two seats up for grabs - the former due to Conservative Intkhab Alam quitting after being jailed for trying to evade arrest after being involved in a fatal hit-and-run road accident.

Ann Ozolins (Lib Dem) resigned from the Idle and Thackley ward last month.

l In Calderdale, would-be Independent mayor Colin Stout is a candidate for Brighouse, where he hopes to retain his seat. BNP candidate Christopher Godridge is standing in Northowram and Shelf.

l Across Kirklees, there are 126 candidates contesting the 23 seats at stake. The BNP is fielding a candidate in each of the five Spen wards as are the Greens. The BNP's regional organiser Nick Cass is standing in Mirfield.

l In Leeds, the BNP has candidates in 22 of the 33 wards, including Guiseley and Rawdon, Otley and Yeadon, and Pudsey. The Alliance for Green Socialism is to contest seats in Guiseley and Rawdon, and Otley and Yeadon.