Mumbai News Live Updates: Expelled from Congress, Zeeshan Siddique joins Ajit Pawar’s NCP, to contest Maharashtra Assembly polls from Bandra East

Previously expelled from the Congress in August, Zeeshan is now set to defend his Bandra (East) seat against Uddhav Thackeray's nephew in the upcoming elections.

Mumbai News Live Updates: Following his father’s footsteps, Zeeshan Siddique joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Friday morning. The party also announced him as their candidate from Bandra East. Zeeshan had won the seat in the 2019 Assembly election as a Congress candidate. However, the Congress later expelled him. In this polls, he goes up against Varun Sardesai of the Shiv Sena (UBT). His participation in Ajit Pawar’s party raises speculations about his political allegiance, since he had previously stated he would remain with Congress despite his father’s shift to the NCP.

Meanwhile, NCP led by Ajit Pawar announced a second list of 7 candidates, including Sana Malik, daughter of MLA Nawab Malik who will be contesting from her father’s Anushaktinagar constituency, two former BJP MPs, Sanjaykaka Patil (Sangli) and Pratap Patil-Chikhlikar (Nanded) to contest from Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal and Loha respectively. Additionally, after a tussle over Pune’s Vadgaon-sheri assembly seat with BJP, the NCP has finally emerged on top as NCP’s sitting MLA Sunil Tingre will contest from there.

How is the weather today: With the maximum temperature of 36 and minimum temperature of 23, the island city is expected to witness partly cloudy skies. Meanwhile, the city was engulfed in a thick layer of smog.

Live Updates
09:28 (IST) 25 Oct 2024
Mumbai News Live Updates: How did Zeeshan make the candidate list

In the first list of 38 candidates released by NCP, Ajit Pawar had chosen caution, going with most of the sitting MLAs and ministers who picked his NCP faction over uncle Sharad Pawar’s. This will quash talk that there is discontent within the faction led by him, and that senior NCP leaders were considering switching to Pawar Senior.

However, earlier one of the prominent names that was missing from the NCP list was of Zeeshan Siddique.

While he won the 2019 Assembly election from Bandra East as a Congress candidate, Zeeshan was expected to move to the NCP like his father Baba Siddique. But after the murder of Baba Siddique, which happened under the Mahayuti government’s watch, Zeeshan was reportedly being urged by his supporters to remain with the Congress.

09:22 (IST) 25 Oct 2024
Mumbai News Live Updates: Ajit Pawar's NCP announces second list of 7 candidates

Meanwhile, NCP led by Ajit Pawar announces second list of 7 candidates. Along side Zeeshan Siddique joining NCP, Sana Malik, daughter of MLA Nawab Malik to contest from her father's Anushaktinagar constituency.

Additionally, two former BJP MPs, Sanjaykaka Patil (Sangli) and Pratap Patil-Chikhlikar (Nanded) to contest from Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal and Loha respectively.

After a tussle over Pune's Vadgaon-sheri assembly seat with BJP, the NCP has finally emerged on top as NCP's sitting MLA Sunil Tingre will contest from that seat. The BJP was forcing former MLA Jagdish Mulik's name on that seat.

09:20 (IST) 25 Oct 2024
Mumbai News Live Updates: Zeeshan Siddique's expulsion from Congress

After his late father, Congress leader Baba Siddique quit the Congress to join ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, his son and Bandra East MLA Zeeshan Siddique was removed as Mumbai Youth Congress chief in February.

In response to the expulsion Siddique took to X and said: 88,517 mumbai youth congress members voted for me to become the president of mumbai youth congress which has been the highest number in the history of mumbai youth congress. This isn’t a nominated post I have got from lobbying or being a yes man to leaders, I have been ELECTED with the highest margin in the election process. After giving 12 years to the organisation having fought three elections it is unfortunate that I have not received any official intimation from the party and I have to learn about my ousting from media and social media. I am answerable to 88,517 who voted for me and I will be addressing a press conference about this very soon!

09:14 (IST) 25 Oct 2024
Mumbai News Live Updates: Zeeshan Siddiqui joins Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

Zeeshan Siddique, the son of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, has joined the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the Assembly elections. The move comes after Baba Siddique was shot dead earlier this month in Bandra. Previously expelled from the Congress in August, Zeeshan is now set to defend his Bandra (East) seat in the upcoming elections. His participation in Ajit Pawar's party raises speculations about his political allegiance, since he had previously stated he would remain with Congress despite his father's shift to the NCP.

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