Pune, Maharashtra (November 7, 2024): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has defended the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) nomination of Nawab Malik from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, amid objections from alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Speaking about Malik’s candidature for the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency, Pawar said, "We have given him candidature so we will have to go for his campaign. No allegations against him have been proven till now so how can he be declared a convict," he said as quoted by ANI.
Malik, who initially filed his nomination as an independent candidate, later received the required AB form from the NCP. He submitted his application with just five minutes left to meet the nomination deadline and thanked Pawar for his support.
The BJP, however, has strongly opposed Malik’s nomination, heightening tensions within the Mahayuti alliance. Ashish Shelar, Mumbai BJP president, made it clear that the BJP will not support Malik's campaign. "BJP's stand is very clear. We will not campaign for Nawab Malik, given his alleged connections with Dawood Ibrahim. We have consistently opposed such associations," Shelar stated. He also said that while the BJP would support other Mahayuti candidates, Malik would not be among them.
BJP leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also reiterated that the BJP would not campaign for Malik and ruled out the possibility of him being included in the government if the Mahayuti alliance wins. "We are not going to campaign for them, so there’s no question of including them in the government," Fadnavis said.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with vote counting set for November 23. The 2019 elections saw the BJP win 105 seats, followed by Shiv Sena with 56 seats and Congress with 44 seats. In the 2014 elections, the BJP secured 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and Congress 42.