Thiruvananthapuram, March 21 Ministers from the Kerala state, top leaders from the Congress and BJP, filed their nomination papers on Saturday for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Several state ministers, including P. Rajeev, V. Sivankutty, R. Bindu, and P. A. Mohamed Riyas, as well as CPI(M) leaders K. K. Shylaja and Kadakampally Surendran, from constituencies such as Kalamassery, Nemom, Irinjalakuda, Beypore, Peravur, and Kazhakootam, filed their nominations as part of the LDF.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Nemom), former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan (Kazhakootam), and other candidates from the saffron party also filed their nominations, accompanied by chief ministers from party-ruled states like Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma accompanied Chandrasekhar and Muraleedharan when they filed their nominations, while the party candidate from Thrissur, Padmaja Venugopal, was accompanied by Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel.
From the Congress, KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, senior party leader K. Muraleedharan, actor Ramesh Pisharody, and former MP Remya Haridas filed their papers from constituencies such as Peravur, Vattiyoorkavu, Palakkad, and Chirayinkeezhu.
Former CPI(M) leader G. Sudhakaran, who has left the party and is now backed by the UDF, filed his nomination from the Ambalapuzha constituency.
Several leaders and candidates from various parties conducted road shows and rallies while heading to file their nomination papers.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), around 362 candidates have filed their nominations since March 19. The last date for filing nominations is March 23.
Elections will be held for 140 Assembly segments on April 9, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4.