Mumbai:

Nawab Malik, former Maharashtra minister and a pacesetter of NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction, filed two nomination types for Mumbai’s Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Meeting seat at this time, setting off excessive drama as many puzzled if a pre-poll shocker is on the playing cards.

The senior chief filed two nomination types, one as a candidate of NCP (Ajit Pawar) and one other as an Impartial. The transfer sparked a buzz. Later within the day, nevertheless, Mr Malik stated he’s NCP’s official candidate. “Right this moment, I filed a nomination from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Vidhan Sabha constituency as NCP candidate. I filed the shape as an Impartial candidate too. However the occasion has despatched the AB type and we submitted it at 2.55 pm. Now I’m an official candidate for NCP,” he stated.

“I’m very grateful to Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. They’ve confidence in me… An enormous variety of voters will assist me… I’m very assured we’ll win Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency this time,” Mr Malik stated.

Earlier, the senior politician stated the occasion’s AB type had not been submitted. “If the AB type is submitted in time, I’ll contest as a celebration candidate. If not, I’ll struggle independently as per the individuals’s want,” he stated.

An AB type is submitted by a political occasion, confirming its candidate for a specific seat.

Nawab Malik presently represents Anushakti Nagar seat in Mumbai. This time, Ajit Pawar’s NCP has fielded his daughter Sana Malik from this seat. Sana Malik is up in opposition to Fahad Ahmed, who lately joined the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar. Fahad Ahmed is the husband of actor Swara Bhasker.

Within the run-up to the November 20 election, Mr Malik had been making a pitch for a ballot go. His remarks have been extensively seen as makes an attempt to construct stress on the management to make sure he will get a ticket. Earlier, he had stated individuals had urged him to contest polls from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar.

“I shall be submitting my nomination on October 29 from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Meeting constituency. The general public has urged me to contest elections from right here. The general public may be very upset with the hooliganism and drug enterprise occurring in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar. The general public needs change and I shall be contesting the elections from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar and can absolutely win…I do not care who’s opposing me, the general public is supporting me,” he stated.

The Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat is a stronghold of Samajwadi Get together’s Abu Azmi, who has been profitable it since 2009.

Nawab Malik faces resistance throughout the Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar).

The BJP has stated it’s in opposition to his candidature. “We won’t settle for giving a ticket to somebody linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim,” Ashish Shelar, Mumbai BJP chief, stated final week. “We can’t assist Malik and may have a special stand,” he added.

Mr Malik was a minister within the Maha Vikas Aghadi authorities and was arrested in 2022 in an NIA case in opposition to Dawood and his associates, together with Chhota Shakeel and Tigar Memon. He was granted bail on medical grounds in July this 12 months. He sided with the Ajit Pawar-led faction after the NCP break up.