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Malik received a clearance from Ajit Pawar’s NCP at the last moment, ending rumours that he would contest as an independent from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar.
Nawab Malik will contest as the NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate from Mankhurd. (Photo: PTI)
Ending the suspense over his candidature, Nawab Malik has confirmed his candidature from Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar seat for the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Malik received the clearance from Ajit Pawar’s NCP at the last minute, putting rest to rumours that he would be contesting as an independent from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar seat. Malik is the currently the sitting MLA from the Anushakti Nagar Assembly constituency.
Earlier, BJP leader Ashish Shelar said last week that his party is against Malik’s candidature due to his links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Four days later, Malik announced that he would contest the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency and pave the way for the beginning of his daughter Sana Malik’s political career in Anushakti Nagar.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Malik claimed that the people have urged him to contest elections from the constituency they are very upset with the hooliganism and drug business which is going on in Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar.
Sana Malik was named in the second list of the candidates of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Friday. Slain former Baba Siddique’s son and former Congress legislator Zeeshan Siddique was also fielded in Bandra East.
Malik was a minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and was arrested in 2022 in a case first registered by the NIA against Dawood and his associates including Chhota Shakeel and Tigar Memon. He was granted bail on medical grounds in July this year. After the NCP split, the faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar took the MLA into its fold, despite objections from ally BJP.
Maharashtra is gearing up for the upcoming Assembly elections on November 20 and today (October 29) is the final day for filing nominations. Results for the 288 assembly constituencies will be announced on November 23, along with those from Jharkhand, which votes on November 13 and 20.
On Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar submitted their nomination papers for the elections.
Meanwhile, despite Tuesday being the last day for filing nominations, the ruling Mahayuti government and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, led by Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, have yet to reach a final decision on seat-sharing.
(with agency inputs)
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