NEW DELHI: NCP candidate Nawab Malik on Wednesday exuded confidence that he will win from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar seat in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls and added that the BJP and Eknath Shinde's Sena refusing to support his candidature is "not a matter of concern" for him.
"The constituency from which NCP has fielded me, Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, has a candidate of Shinde Sena - Suresh Patil. BJP is supporting him. The situation is the same in the constituency of my daughter. So, if BJP or Shiv Sena 's Shinde faction is opposing me, it is not a matter of concern for us. It is expected to happen," Malik told news agency ANI.
BJP and Shiv Sena Shinde faction have opposed the nomination of Nawab Malik due to his alleged links with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. BJP Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar has announced that the party would not be campaigning in his support.
"In both constituencies, we will have a thumping majority ... I am contesting from there after people urged me... People have invited me to the contest. Be it BJP or Shiv Sena that opposes me, people's trust and support are with us. We will win in both constituencies," he said.
The leader also said that there's a tight contest and no government will be formed in Maharashtra without Ajit Pawar who cannot compromise with his ideologies.
"As far as BJP is concerned, Ajit Pawar has forged a political adjustment with them. Neither NCP nor Nawab Malik compromises with ideology. Our ideology is clear, we believe in secularism and democratic system... The contest is tight in the election. It is clear that no government in Maharashtra can be formed without Ajit Pawar and he can't compromise with ideologies," Malik said.
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya accused Nawab Malik of betraying the country with anti-national activities.
"Nawab Malik is a terrorist who tried to break India into pieces. He is Dawood's agent and Ajit Pawar's NCP has betrayed the country by giving ticket to Nawab Malik. On behalf of Mahayuti, Eknath Shinde's candidate Suresh Krishna Patil (Bullet Patil) of the Bharatiya Janata Party started campaigning yesterday," Somaiya stated.
The Mahayuti alliance faced complications on Tuesday when Nawab Malik submitted his nomination, despite the alliance already declaring Shiv Sena's Suresh Krishna Patil as their official candidate for the same constituency.
Nawab Malik, who previously served two terms as MLA from Anushakti Nagar, decided to run as an independent candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly constituency. However, he filed another nomination on Tuesday from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency in Mumbai as a candidate of the deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The Ajit Pawar-led party gave the nomination form to Nawab Malik just minutes before the deadline for the process ended, allowing him to officially contest elections as a party candidate.
The party has also given ticket to his younger daughter, Sana Malik, from the Anushakti Nagar constituency, a seat that her father represented multiple times in the past. This is Sana Malik's maiden assembly election.
The Maharashtra assembly elections will take place in single-phase on November 20, with vote counting for all 288 constituencies scheduled for November 23.
"The constituency from which NCP has fielded me, Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, has a candidate of Shinde Sena - Suresh Patil. BJP is supporting him. The situation is the same in the constituency of my daughter. So, if BJP or Shiv Sena 's Shinde faction is opposing me, it is not a matter of concern for us. It is expected to happen," Malik told news agency ANI.
BJP and Shiv Sena Shinde faction have opposed the nomination of Nawab Malik due to his alleged links with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. BJP Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar has announced that the party would not be campaigning in his support.
"In both constituencies, we will have a thumping majority ... I am contesting from there after people urged me... People have invited me to the contest. Be it BJP or Shiv Sena that opposes me, people's trust and support are with us. We will win in both constituencies," he said.
The leader also said that there's a tight contest and no government will be formed in Maharashtra without Ajit Pawar who cannot compromise with his ideologies.
"As far as BJP is concerned, Ajit Pawar has forged a political adjustment with them. Neither NCP nor Nawab Malik compromises with ideology. Our ideology is clear, we believe in secularism and democratic system... The contest is tight in the election. It is clear that no government in Maharashtra can be formed without Ajit Pawar and he can't compromise with ideologies," Malik said.
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya accused Nawab Malik of betraying the country with anti-national activities.
"Nawab Malik is a terrorist who tried to break India into pieces. He is Dawood's agent and Ajit Pawar's NCP has betrayed the country by giving ticket to Nawab Malik. On behalf of Mahayuti, Eknath Shinde's candidate Suresh Krishna Patil (Bullet Patil) of the Bharatiya Janata Party started campaigning yesterday," Somaiya stated.
The Mahayuti alliance faced complications on Tuesday when Nawab Malik submitted his nomination, despite the alliance already declaring Shiv Sena's Suresh Krishna Patil as their official candidate for the same constituency.
Nawab Malik, who previously served two terms as MLA from Anushakti Nagar, decided to run as an independent candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly constituency. However, he filed another nomination on Tuesday from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency in Mumbai as a candidate of the deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The Ajit Pawar-led party gave the nomination form to Nawab Malik just minutes before the deadline for the process ended, allowing him to officially contest elections as a party candidate.
The party has also given ticket to his younger daughter, Sana Malik, from the Anushakti Nagar constituency, a seat that her father represented multiple times in the past. This is Sana Malik's maiden assembly election.
The Maharashtra assembly elections will take place in single-phase on November 20, with vote counting for all 288 constituencies scheduled for November 23.
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