Zeeshan Siddique was expelled from Congress in August for cross-voting during the Maharashtra legislative council elections. He joined the NCP shortly after his father, a former Maharashtra minister, was tragically shot dead outside his office.
In Brief
* Zeeshan Siddique was expelled from Congress for cross-voting in Maharashtra legislative council elections.
* He will run in the Maharashtra polls from the Vandre East constituency.
* He is the son of Baba Siddique, who was killed on October 12.
Zeeshan Siddique, son of the late former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, joined the NCP faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday.
In August, he was expelled from Congress for allegedly cross-voting in the Maharashtra legislative council elections, a charge he had previously denied.
Describing it as an emotional moment, Zeeshan announced he would contest the Maharashtra Assembly elections from the Bandra East constituency, a seat he previously won in 2019 on a Congress ticket.
“This is an emotional day for me and my family. I am grateful to Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare for believing in me during these challenging times. I have received the nomination for Bandra East, and with the support and love of the people, I am confident of winning Bandra East once again,” Zeeshan said.
NCP leader Baba Siddique was tragically shot dead on October 12 outside Zeeshan’s office while celebrating Diwali with firecrackers. A member of the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility, stating Baba Siddique was targeted due to his close association with Salman Khan.
As part of seat-sharing within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Bandra East seat has been allocated to Congress ally Shiv Sena (UBT), which has nominated Varun Sardesai, nephew of Uddhav Thackeray, as its candidate.
Zeeshan expressed frustration over feeling unappreciated by Congress despite his years with the party, accusing it of yielding to pressure from Shiv Sena (UBT).
“Many people made political statements and raised issues after I lost my father, using the situation unfairly. I won’t comment further on Congress, but they have always been influenced by Shiv Sena (UBT). I dedicated years to Congress and am disappointed they didn’t fully value my contributions,” he said.
Zeeshan affirmed his determination to win the Maharashtra polls, fulfilling his late father’s vision of defending the seat he won in 2019.
Baba Siddique, notably, had served as Congress MLA from the undivided Bandra seat for two terms before joining NCP earlier this year.
“It was my father’s dream to win this seat again and advocate for people’s rights. He was tragically killed while pursuing that mission. His blood runs in my veins, and I will carry forward his fight and secure a record victory,” Zeeshan vowed.
He stated that members of the MVA had reached out, expressing interest in fielding him once again from the Bandra East constituency. “Deception is in their nature,” Zeeshan Siddique remarked.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for a single phase on November 20, with vote counting set for November 23.
