Ajit's NCP Fields Nawab Malik From Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, BJP Says It Will Not Support Him

The BJP has expressed its unhappiness over its ally NCP's decision to field Nawab Malik from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat despite its objections.

"The BJP's stance is very clear. All the parties in the alliance should decide their own candidate," Maharashtra BJP Chief Ashish Shelar said.

The BJP has made it clear that it will not support Malik's candidature. "The issue is only about Nawab Malik's official candidature from NCP. Devendra Fadnavis has time and again clarified the stance of the party, I say it again: The BJP will not campaign for Nawab Malik. There is no question of us campaigning for him, because we won't endorse anyone who's related to any Dawood or Dawood related case," he added.

However, the BJP has given the benefit of the doubt to Malik's daughter Sana Malik who is fielded by the NCP from the Anushakti Nagar seat. "As long as we don't get any proof and information about her, all Mahayuti candidates are BJP's candidates," Shelar added.

The BJP has been openly opposing the candidature of Nawab Malik. However, Ajit Pawar was also under pressure to give him the ticket as his party workers felt that he is making compromise a little more than required.

While the NCP had contested in just four seats in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, Ajit's party has fielded 53 candidates as against other ally Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena which is fielding 80 contestants.

Nawab Malik is a popular Muslim face within the NCP. Without his support, the party might suffer significant vote loss. Due to the BJP's opposition, the NCP did not make its support public over Malik's candidature.

Malik is taking on Samajwadi Party's three-time sitting MLA Abu Azmi.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena's Suresh Krishna Patil is the official candidate for the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat which has the backing of the BJP. "Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Legislative Assembly Shiv Sena candidate Suresh Krishnarao Patil (' popularly known as 'Bullet Patil') came to my office this evening. I assured him of my full support and wished him well," BJPs' Kirit Somaiya said in a social media post.