Cracks In Mahayuti Before Polls? Despite BJP's Opposition, Nawab Malik Files Nomination As NCP Candidate, Thanks Ajit Pawar

Money laundering-accused former Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik filed his nomination papers for the 20 November assembly elections as a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate on Tuesday (29 October).

Earlier, Malik was expected to contest the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly seat as an Independent and even filed his nomination papers as an Independent.

He had also filed the nomination as candidate of Ajit Pawar's NCP. After the party sent the AB form for him, Malik officially became the NCP candidate on the last day of nomination filing.

He expressed gratitude to NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare and said that he is confident of winning the election. The seat is held by the Samajwadi Party (SP) since 2009.

Malik was a Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government as the leader of the undivided NCP. He was arrested in February 2022 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under PMLA.

After the NCP was split in July last year and Malik came out from jail on bail over medical reasons, he joined the Ajit Pawar faction. Malik's sitting on the ruling coalition side sparked controversy in December last year.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis strongly opposed this but the matter was downplayed by Ajit Pawar. Hence, it was believed that Malik would contest as an Independent, not as the Mahayuti candidate.

Even last week, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashish Shelar had opposed Malik's candidature from the NCP citing his alleged links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim but Ajit Pawar has fielded him.

Notably, Ajit Pawar's NCP had already given a ticket to Malik's daughter Sana Malik in Anushaktinagar. The party has also fielded former Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddique, the son of recently slain leader Baba Siddique.