Baba Siddiqui's son Zeeshan joins Ajit Pawar's NCP Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly polls
PTC Web Desk: Zeeshan Siddique, son of former Maharashtra minister and three-time Congress MLA Baba Siddiqui—who was tragically shot dead earlier this month—joined the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday morning, just days ahead of the state Assembly elections.
At 32 years old, Zeeshan Siddique had faced expulsion from the Congress in August after he cross-voted in a legislative council election. He is now set to contest for the Vandre (East) seat, which he won in 2019 while representing his former party.
His main rival will be Varun Sardesai, the nephew of ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Sardesai’s Shiv Sena faction is aligned with the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP as part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.
In his initial comments following his shift to the Pawar NCP, Siddique criticised the Maha Vikas Aghadi for abandoning him in the wake of his father's murder. "Today is an emotional day for my family and me. I thank Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare for their support during these challenging times," he stated. "I have received the nomination for Vandre (East), and I am confident that with the people's love and support, I will win again."
Prior to joining the NCP, Siddique expressed his displeasure towards the Congress, particularly after the Maha Vikas Aghadi announced another candidate for the Vandre (East) seat. "I heard old friends have announced their candidates from Vandre East. Supporting was never in their nature," he remarked in a pointed post on social media. He added, "Maintain relations with those who give respect; there’s no point in surrounding yourself with a crowd. Now the people will decide."
As part of the seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming November 20 elections, the Vandre East seat was allocated to Uddhav Thackeray's party. The Thackeray Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP, and Congress are set to contest 85 seats collectively, while the remaining 33 seats will be distributed among smaller parties.
Baba Siddiqui, 66, was murdered outside his son's office in Bandra on October 12. The police have arrested 14 persons as part of an ongoing investigation to determine the motive behind the crime. Siddiqui served as the Congress MLA for the Vandre seat for two terms before it was bifurcated in 2008, after which he represented Vandre (West) for a third term. Earlier this year, he had also left the Congress to join Ajit Pawar's NCP faction.
- With inputs from agencies
