Mumbai: In a potential source of contention within the ruling Mahawati, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has fielded Nawab Malik from Mumbai's Mankhard Shivaji Nagar constituency, though the BJP strongly objected to his candidacy. expressed.
Malik filed his nomination papers as the official candidate of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Tuesday. The party has fielded his daughter Sana Malik as its candidate from his father's current constituency, Anushkat Nagar.
Abu Azmi of Samajwadi Party is representing Mankhard Shivaji Nagar constituency for three consecutive terms. This time also Uzmi has thrown his hat in the ring for the fourth term.
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With the BJP strongly opposing Malik's candidature, Malik had decided to contest as an independent if he did not receive his party's official nomination.
Speaking to The Print, Malik said, “I have been asked by my party to contest the election. I have filed my nomination form as an NCP candidate as well as an independent candidate. The AB form was received before midnight, making me the party's official candidate for the seat,” he said.
However, he said that neither he nor his daughter Mahawati are official candidates as the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has fielded candidates against them on both the seats.
A source in the Shinde-led Shiv Sena confirmed the party's decision to field candidate Avinash Rane against Sana Malik, but did not comment on whether the party had given an AB form to any candidate in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar. .
The Mahawati alliance includes the BJP, Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Maharashtra BJP vice-president Madhav Bhandari told The Print, “When it comes to Nawab Malik, the party has made its stand clear time and again. Our stand is unequivocal. Also, if Ajit Dada gives him his If we want to stand as the official candidate of the party, then our leadership will comment on it.
BJP's opposition to Nawab Malik
The BJP has always been against the inclusion of Nawab Malik as the leader of the Mahayoti Alliance.
When the NCP split in July 2023, Malik was behind bars, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. While most MLAs chose sides soon after the partition, Malik's decision was suspended until he attended the state assembly session after being released on bail in December 2023.
As soon as he entered the state assembly, he sat on the treasury benches, angered the BJP, and asked Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to write a letter to his colleague Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asking the country out of the Mahawati alliance. Asked to keep.
The ED had arrested Malik in February 2022 in connection with a money-laundering probe into the alleged hawala network of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates to promote anti-national activities and spread terrorism in India. was The ED has accused Malik of having financial links with Dawood's sister Haseena Parker, owning gangster-linked properties and facilitating a money laundering racket.
Fadnavis was the first to allege that Malik had links with Dawood Ibrahim.
In his letter to Ajit Pawar in December 2023, Fadnavis had said that power comes and goes, but the nation is more important and the Ajit Pawar-led party should not include in the alliance anyone who is Dawood Ibrahim's rival. belong together, realizing that the country is just outside. He was on medical bail and the charges against him were not proved.
Sources close to Malik said he decided to align with Ajit Pawar only because the leader had done so much to help him when he was facing an ED probe. The source also said that Malik Mahyoti does not intend to campaign as a candidate, using the names and symbols of Ajit Pawar-led NCP allies.
(Editing by Gitanjali Das)
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