Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Zeeshan Siddique Joins Ajit Pawar NCP Days After Baba Siddique’s Mumbai Shootout

Zeeshan Siddique, son of deceased NCP leader Baba Siddique, on Friday joined the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), days ahead of Maharastra single phase assembly election slated on November 20. NCP has announced him as their Bandra East Candidate, the same seat he had won for Congress in 2019.

He was suspended from Congress in August under suspicion of cross voting in legislative council polls. Inspite of being a sitting MLA, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance fielded Varun Sardesai, the nephew of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray from Bandra East, instead of him. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena is in alliance with Sharad Pawar’s NCP and the Congress.

"This is an emotional day for me and my family. I am thankful to Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare for believing in me in these tough times. I have got the nomination from Bandra East, I am sure that with the love and support of all the people, I will definitely win Bandra East yet again”, said Zeeshan Siddique in his first comments after joining the party. He also lamented that after the murder of his father, no one from Congress had connected with him. “In my difficult times they didn’t stand by me”, he added.

His father, Baba Siddiqui was a Congress MLA from Bandra for ten years, from 1999 till 2009, before the seat was bifurcated into Bandra East and Bandra West. Baba Siddique won the Bandra West seat in 2009, once again as Congress MLA. But earlier this year had quit Congress and joined the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP. He was shot dead on October 12 outside Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra. So far, 14 people have been arrested in connection with the shootout. “Now, with you gone, I feel the weight of the people who loved you for your service and dedication to them. I’m waiting for a signal from you, as I always did. Miss you every day”, Zeeshan Siddique had posted on ‘X’ on Thursday.​