Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Minister and senior NCP leader Nawab Malik has officially filed his nomination papers to contest from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency in Mumbai. This constituency is currently represented by Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Asim Azmi, who has held the seat since 2009, winning three consecutive terms, reports the Times of India.
Initially filing as an independent candidate, Malik later received the party’s AB form from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Ajit Pawar, confirming his candidature under the NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance, which has partnered with the BJP and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) for the upcoming state elections.
With the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat in high contention, BJP-backed candidate Suresh Krishna Patil, known as “Bullet Patil,” has also filed his nomination, marking a three-way competition. Patil, who contested from this seat in 2014, was previously defeated by Azmi. However, his bid is once again supported by the BJP as part of the Mahayuti alliance, despite the controversy surrounding Malik’s candidacy due to alleged underworld links – point raised by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on social media platform X.
Notably, Malik is the sitting MLA from the Anushakti Nagar constituency, where his daughter, Sana Malik, has stepped in to contest on behalf of the NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction. Sana Malik faces competition from Fahad Ahmad, husband of actor Swara Bhasker, who recently joined the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction after leaving the SP.
The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with Tuesday, October 29, being the final day for filing nominations.
