In a show of confidence and appreciation, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Zeeshan Siddiqui addressed the media on Monday, acknowledging the support he has received from senior party members Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare as he prepared to file his nomination for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections from Bandra East. Speaking to reporters, Siddiqui highlighted the encouragement from his mentors, saying, "In this difficult time, Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare have shown faith in me, I am grateful to them." Expressing optimism about the upcoming election, he added, "The entire public is with me, and they are going to make me win."
Zeeshan also shared a personal sentiment, reflecting on his late father, a prominent figure who inspired his political journey. “My father is in my heart and he will continue to guide me,” he stated, underscoring the enduring legacy his father left behind in his life and political career. Maharashtra Minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal voiced his support for Zeeshan Siddiqui, the party’s candidate from Bandra East, as Siddiqui filed his nomination for the upcoming assembly elections. Speaking to the media, Bhujbal remarked, "Zeeshan Siddiqui was elected earlier as well. He was an MLA. His father, Baba Siddiqui, and he had joined NCP. After this, Zeeshan was made a candidate from here once again." Bhujbal emphasized his presence as a show of party support for Siddiqui, reinforcing the NCP's backing of Siddiqui's campaign in the constituency.
The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has named Zeeshan Siddique, son of slain NCP leader Baba Siddique, as its candidate for the Vandre East constituency, while senior party leader Nawab Malik’s daughter Sana Malik has been named as the candidate for Anushakti Nagar. The seat is currently represented by her father. Both Zeeshan Siddique and Sana Malik were named in NCP’s second list of seven candidates for the upcoming assembly elections, released on Friday. Prior to being declared a candidate, Siddiqui formally joined the NCP on Friday morning at the party office in the presence of Ajit Pawar. His first brush with elections was during the 2019 assembly polls, when he contested from the Vande East constituency as a Congress candidate and defeated the undivided Shiv Sena’s Vishwanath Mahadeshwar in a triangular fight by a margin of 5,790 votes. This time, as the NCP candidate, he will take on Varun Sardesai, nephew of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.