VOTERS in Blackburn with Darwen will go to the polls next month in elections that could change the political landscape.

In Labour-controlled Blackburn with Darwen, three of the ruling executive are bidding to keep their seats, including council leader Kate Hollern.

Of the 22 seats up for grabs Labour are defending 11, the Conservatives five and the Libberal Democrats four.

Labour currently have 33 seats, the Tories 15, the LibDems, 13, For Darwen and there is one Independent.

The British National Party is fielding five candidates, the right-wing England First Party three, For Darwen four, the Green Party two and there is one Independent.

Meadowhead in Blackburn looks set to be a battle ground, with six candidates battling it out for two seats, one vacated by Labour's long-standing Maureen Rishton - who is standing down - and the other by the England First Party's former leader Mark Cotterill, who gave his seat up after less than a year of service.

Maureen Bateson, executive member for children's services is fighting for the Ewood seat, and Frank Connor, executive member for adult services, stands in Marsh House.

> HOW THEY LINE UP

Audley: Yusuf Jan-Virma (Lab), Salim Ismail Makda (Lib Dem), David Smith (Con).

Bastwell: Musa Haldarvi Ismail (Lib Dem), Iftakhar Hussain (Lab), Christopher James Tattersall (Con).

Beardwood with Lammack: Gill Askew (Lib Dem), Michael John Lee (Con), Carl Peter Nuttall (Lab).

Corporation Park: Ajaib Hussain (Lib Dem), Jim Kenyon (Con), Arshid Mahmood (Lab).

Earcroft: Frank Davis (Lab), Katrina Michelle Kay (Con), Trevor Ian Maxfield (FD), Stephen Simpson (Lib Dem).

Ewood: Maureen Bateson (Lab), Adrian Page (Ind), John Joseph Raleigh (BNP), Joseph Anthony Smith (Con).

Fernhurst: David Carter (GP), Brian James Morris (Lib Dem), Annette Clare Murphy (Lab), Jacqueline Slater (Con).

Highercroft: Fred Gollop (Lib Dem), Mike Johnson (Lab), Ian Martin Lofthouse (EFP), Peter Robinson (Con).

Little Harwood: Bernard Miller (Con), Imtiaz Patel (Lib Dem), Naushad Surve (Lab).

Livesey with Pleasington: Ray Ashworth (Lab), Derek James Hardman (Con), Jessie Hickmott (Lib Dem), John Paul Murphy (BNP).

Marsh House: Frank Connor (Lab), Amy Fenton (Con), Simon Pearce Huggill (Lib Dem), Phil Jones (FD).

Meadowhead (two seats): Ray Askew (Lib Dem), Alan Howard Barry (Con), Nicholas Holt (BNP), Ron O'Keeffe (Lab), Konrad Jan Tapp (Con), Elaine Whittingham (Lab).

Mill Hill: Alan Dean (Lib Dem), Florence Hindle (BNP), Kevin Shaw (EFP), Mark Anthony Slater (Con), Damian Talbot (Lab).

North Turton with Tockholes: Anthony Kerry Holt (Lib Dem), Bernard Mathews (Lab), Graeme McIver (GP), Jean Valerie Rigby (Con).

Queen's Park: Margaret Ruth Carus (Con), Yusuf Sidat (Lib Dem), Ashley Richard Whalley (Lab).

Roe Lee: Maureen McGarvey (Con), Phil Riley (Lab).

Shadsworth with Whitebirk: Denise Fisher Zahran (Lib Dem), Sue Grimshaw (BNP), Jim Shorrock (Lab).

Shear Brow: Michael Bernard Bamber (Con), Solly Khonat (Lab), Muntazir Patel (Lib Dem).

Sudell: Bill Corran (Lab), Roy Peter Davies (Lib Dem), Bob Eccles (Con), Anthony Malcolm Meleady (FD).

Sunnyhurst: David Mark Fenton (Con), Tony Melia (FD), Nigel Nuttall (Lab), Kevin Saint (Lib Dem), Mark Waring (EFP).

Wensley Fold: Kate Hollern (Lab), Tariq Mahmood (Lib Dem), Margaret Miller (Con).

>> KEY TO PARTIES

Lab: Labour
Con: Conservative
Lib Dem: Liberal Democrat
GP: Green Party
BNP: British National Party
CFP: Community First Party
EFP: England First Party
FD: For Darwen
Ind: Independent