A well-known Mumbai journalist Sarfaraz Aarzoo, editor of the Urdu daily Hindustan, meanwhile filed his nomination as a Samajwadi Party candidate from the Muslim-dominated Byculla assembly constituency in south Mumbai.

Sitting legislator of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Bashir M. Patel, who defected to the party last week, also filed his papers from Mumbadevi constituency in south Mumbai.

In northern Maharashtra, Samajwadi Party nominee Sharad Gavit filed his papers from Navapur constituency. He was the runner-up in the May 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Nandurbar parliamentary seat in which Navapur falls, losing out to Congress's Manikrao Gavit.

Farooq Ghosi said of the total 37 seats his party is contesting as a constituent of the Republican Left Democratic Front (RLDF), known as the third front, the party hopes to bag 15 to 20 seats.

Top Samajwadi Party leaders, including Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh, are expected to campaign for the party candidates in the state, he added.