Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 30 (IANS): A top Kerala BJP leader and three CPI-M candidates, on Saturday, filed their nomination papers before the concerned officials at their respective constituencies for the April 26 Lok Sabha polls.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan is the BJP candidate from Attingal constituency in the state capital district. He arrived with his fellow party leaders and filed his nomination here. He is pitted against sitting Congress MP Adoor Prakash and local CPI-M legislator V. Joy.

At Pathanamthitta, two-time former state Finance Minister and top CPI-M leader Thomas Isaac arrived with Health Minister Veena George and Deputy Speaker of Kerala Assembly, Chittayam Gopakumar at the district headquarters of Pathanamthitta, and filed his nomination papers.

Isaac is taking on sitting Congress MP Anto Antony, aiming for a fourth consecutive term and BJP candidate Anil Antony, son of former Defense Minister A. K. Antony.

At the Chalakudy Lok Sabha seat, former Education Minister and CPI-M leader C. Raveendranath filed his papers at the Ernakulam district Collector’s office

He was accompanied by state Industries Minister P. Rajeeve and numerous others.

Raveendranath is pitted against sitting Congress MP Benny Behanan and K. A. Unnikrishnan of BDJS, an ally of the BJP-led NDA .

At Malappuram, the young turk of the CPI-M, V. Vaseef, a school teacher-turned-state president of the DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI-M, filed his nomination .

He is taking on seasoned Indian Union Muslim League sitting Lok Sabha member E. T. Mohammed Basheer and Dr Abdul Salam, a former Vice Chancellor of Calicut University.

Kerala has 20 Lok Sabha seats and the last date of filing of nomination is April 4.