The NCP has ultimately granted Nawab Malik a ticket for the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The top official also submitted his nomination on Tuesday afternoon. Malik has been chosen as the NCP candidate for the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency, where he will be competing against Abu Asim Azmi, the Maharashtra chief of the Samajwadi Party (SP). Ajit Pawar’s faction leader Nawab Malik currently serves as an MLA from Anushakti Nagar in Mumbai.
NCP leader Nawab Malik announced, “I submitted my nomination as the NCP candidate for the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency today.” I had submitted the form as an independent candidate as well. The AB form was sent by the party and we submitted it at 2.55 pm, making me the official candidate of NCP now. I feel immense appreciation towards Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare… their trust in me is valued… a significant number of voters will surely back me up… I believe we will emerge victorious in the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency this time.
Before, following his nomination from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar assembly seat, Nawab Malik stated, “I have submitted my nomination as both an NCP candidate and an independent candidate.” If I receive the party’s AB form on time, I will run as an NCP candidate; if not, I will run as an independent candidate instead.
In the second list, Ajit Pawar’s group announced Sana Malik, daughter of Nawab Malik, as the candidate for her father’s Anushaktinagar constituency. Speculations were already circulating that MLA Nawab Malik’s ticket from Anushaktinagar would likely be cancelled this time, with a possibility of his daughter being nominated instead. Nawab Malik is facing allegations of engaging in money laundering. Due to his poor health, he had to remain incarcerated for many months, and he is now free on bail. Sana Malik is competing against Swara Bhaskar’s spouse Fahad Ahmed, who has been nominated by Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SCP).
BJP publicly objected to Anushaktinagar MLA Nawab Malik and alleged that he had connections with the mafia. Nevertheless, on the final day of nominations, Ajit Pawar has shocked everyone by nominating Nawab Malik. Malik will now compete in the election from the Mankhurd Shivajinagar seat instead of his current seat. The Mankhurd Shivajinagar area of Mumbai is primarily made up of Muslim voters. Abu Azmi, a leader of the SP, has been successfully securing this seat for two terms in a row. This is his third attempt at winning this seat. In this scenario, there is intense rivalry between Nawab Malik and Abu Azmi.