Maharashtra election:: Baba Siddiqui's son Zeeshan Siddiqui joins Ajit Pawar's party NCP, will contest elections from here

pc: The Hindu

Zeeshan Siddiqui, son of former MLA and NCP leader Baba Siddiqui, joined the NCP on Friday in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar ahead of the upcoming elections. Zeeshan has been declared the NCP candidate for Vandre East constituency, where he had won in the 2019 elections by defeating Shiv Sena's Vishwanath Mahadeshwar.

After joining NCP, Zeeshan Siddiqui said, “It is an emotional day for me and my family. I am grateful to Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare for believing in me in these difficult times. I am grateful to Vandre East I am sure that with everyone's love and support, I will definitely win from Vandre East.”

Zeeshan was angry with Congress because the party had given his seat to Bandra East UBT Sena as per Aghadi's seat sharing formula. Zeeshan said- “Maha Vikas Aghadi declared its candidates and the existing Congress seat was given to Shiv Sena (UBT), this is very unfortunate. In the last few days, Congress leaders and Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders were in touch with me. ..But his intention was to cheat. In that difficult time, Ajit Pawar, Sunil Tatkare and NCP trusted me. It was my father's unfulfilled dream to win this seat. Have to win and fight for the rights of the people. His blood runs in my veins and I will win Bandra East by a record margin.”

Zeeshan will face Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arun Sardesai on Vandre East seat. Hence, the former Congress leader indirectly took a dig at the Congress through a social media post on Wednesday. He said, “I have heard that old friends have declared themselves candidates from the past. It was never in their nature to live together. Maintain relations only with those who respect and honor you. There is no use in creating a crowd. Now the public will decide.”

Zeeshan's father Baba Siddiqui was killed in front of Zeeshan's office in Bandra area on October 12 by shooters allegedly linked to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Zeeshan was the former president of Mumbai Youth Congress. However, in August he had said that he was 'unofficially' removed and the Congress was 'sidelining' him. NCP (Ajit Pawar) has also released its second list of candidates, in which Nawab Malik's daughter Sana Malik has been fielded from Anushakti Nagar and Nishikant Patil has been fielded against Jayant Patil in Islampur.

Earlier, BJP leader Nishikant Bhosale Patil and former BJP MP Sanjaykaka Patil had also joined NCP. He said, “Today I have joined NCP on the instructions of our leader Devendra Fadnavis. I had to switch from BJP to NCP because of Islampur assembly seat going to NCP. I will win the election from Islampur seat on NCP ticket.” Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled to be held on November 20, while counting of votes for all 288 seats will take place on November 23. In the 2019 assembly elections, BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena 56 and Congress 44 seats. In 2014, BJP had won 122 seats, Shiv Sena had won 63 seats and Congress had won 42 seats.