Aaditya Thackeray, Chandrakant Patil file nominations

Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray, BJP's Chandrakant Patil and NCP's Dhananjay Munde were among the key leaders who filed nominations on Thursday for the October 21 Maharashtra Assembly polls.

The last day for filing nominations is Friday.

Aaditya, who has become the first member of the Thackeray clan to take plunge into electoral politics, is contesting from Worli Assembly segment.

He was accompanied by his father and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and mother Rashmi while filing nomination papers.

Patil, Maharashtra BJP chief, filed nomination from Pune's Kothrud constituency.

He was accompanied by party's Pune MP Girish Bapat and sitting Kothrud MLA Medha Kulkarni. Kulkarni was denied ticket this time to make way for Patil.

Sitting NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad filed his papers from Kalwa-Mumbra constituency in Thane. Party president Sharad Pawar was with him on the occasion.

Another NCP candidate, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde, pitted against his cousin and BJP minister Pankaja Munde in Beed's Parli segment, filed nomination in the morning.

Dhananjay -- who was accompanied by local Congress and Left leaders too -- paid respects to his uncle, late BJP leader Gopinath Munde before filing nomination.

In Latur, Congress MLA Amit Deshmukh filed papers from Latur (City) seat. His younger brother Dheeraj Deshmukh, contesting his maiden Assembly election, submitted nomination papers from Latur (Rural) constituency.

Both were accompanied by family members, including their brother and Bollywood actor Riteish, and party workers.