03 November,2024 11:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
NCP leader Nawab Malik. File Pic
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji Assembly constituency Nawab Malik on Sunday openly addressed the opposition he is facing from the Mahayuti alliance in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, reported news agency ANI.
Malik emphasised his position as the sole candidate representing the NCP, asserting his loyalty to party leader Ajit Pawar. "I am the candidate of Nationalist Congress Party, I am with Ajit Pawar, he has made me a candidate, now Mahayuti alliance people, whether from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, they are fighting the elections against me and my fight is with them," he stated.
Malik further remarked on the unpredictability of the elections, stating, "There is a very tough competition in Maharashtra. We cannot predict who will get the majority. On both sides, there is an alliance of 3 parties. So, Ajit Pawar will play a big role in the formation of government... No one can neglect the fact that Ajit Pawar will play the role of kingmaker in Maharashtra,"
Malik has also faced serious accusations regarding alleged links with Dawood Ibrahim and the underworld.
In response to these claims, he expressed his frustration at being associated with such allegations, saying, "The way I am being linked to the underworld, people have even called me a traitor in the Vidhan Sabha, and connecting me to terrorists, I have said clearly that we did not reply to it because there was a restriction of speaking on it. Whoever tries to defame my image, they have a right to speak and I have the right to defend. There are laws in the country too."
"Through criminal defamation or civil defamation, we will take action against the people who have been putting these false allegations against me," he added.
The opposition to Malik's candidacy is particularly pronounced from the Mahayuti alliance partners. Ashish Shelar, the Mumbai chief of the BJP, has made it clear that the party will not be campaigning in support of Malik, which signifies a concerted effort to undermine his position.
The Shiv Sena, under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, has similarly voiced its disapproval, reinforcing the narrative surrounding Malik's alleged connections to criminal elements.
Nawab Malik further told ANI, "Whatever politics they have they will decide, I also have my politics. I have been in politics for 50 years. People have seen me do the work as a five time MLA, a six time minister. We are not scared of these allegations, but whoever is putting these false allegations we would need to investigate them."
Despite the mounting opposition, Malik's daughter, Sana Malik, who is contesting from the Anushkati Nagar seat, defended her father and criticised the BJP's stance on Saturday.
She argued that the BJP's consistent opposition to Nawab Malik highlights a pattern rather than a response to specific issues. "The issues in Lok Sabha were different. But what kind of work has the MP done in the last 6 months? All these things are being discussed among the people today. In the assembly elections, people believe that if we are electing an MLA, then how much work will he do for us or how accessible he is to us, all these things are being discussed," she stated.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting set for November 23.
In 2019, the BJP secured 105 seats, while the Shiv Sena obtained 56, and the Congress won 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.
(With inputs from ANI)
