(Updating with nomination filing by Nandan Nilekani and Naveen

Former union minister Ajay Maken, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, ex-army chief V K Singh, actor Shatrughan Sinha and former journalist Ashutosh are among key Congress, BJP and AAP leaders who entered the Lok Sabha poll battle arena today across eight states.
Industrialist and sitting MP Naveen Jindal of Congress also jumped into the electoral fray filing his papers from Kurukshetra constituency in Haryana and Rao Inderjit Singh, who switched over from Congress to BJP recently, filed his nomination in Gurgaon to take on senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav.
Shatrughan Sinha of BJP filed his nomination from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar but the event was marred by violence as his supporters beat up a group of youth who showed black flags to the actor-turned-politician when he was on his way to submit the papers.

Nilekani, who is trying his luck as a Congress nominee, was among 35 candidates who plunged into the electoral battle on the third day of filing of nominations for Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka.
Nilekani filed his nomination for Bangalore South constituency where he is locked in a tough battle against five-time MP BJP's Ananth Kumar.
Of the five states, Delhi witnessed the highest number of high-profile personalities entering the poll fray, including Ajay Maken and his and Sandeep Dikshit of Congress, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi and Ashutosh of AAP.

Maken, AICC General Secretary and Communication Department Chairman, was the first to submit his nomination papers followed by his challenger Lekhi for the prestigious New Delhi constituency.

Maken had won unopposed the US-style primaries, a brainchild of Rahul Gandhi, to select the party's choice of nominee for the constituency.
Aam Aadmi Party has fielded journalist-turned-politician Ashish Khetan from the seat. He filed his nomination papers yesterday.
Ashutosh filed his papers from Chandni Chowk constituency where he will challenge union minister Kapil Sibal of Congress and BJP veteran Harsh Vardhan in what promises to be a mouth-watering clash.
Congress nominee and sitting MP Sandeep Dikshit also jumped into the fray from East Delhi constituency where he takes on BJP's Maheish Girri and AAP's Rajmohan Gandhi.
In UP, former army Chief and BJP candidate V K Singh filed his papers from Ghaziabad Lok Sabha constituency where he will be challenged by Raj Babbar of Congress and Shazia Ilmi of AAP.