Zeeshan Siddique, Baba Siddique's son, joins Ajit Pawar's NCP; to contest from Bandra East

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In August, Zeeshan Siddique was ousted from Congress for supposedly going against the party by voting during the Maharashtra legislative council elections.

Zeeshan Siddique, the offspring of Baba Siddique, a former minister in Maharashtra, officially became a member of the faction within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) helmed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Friday.

In August, he faced expulsion from Congress for supposedly going against the party’s stance in the Maharashtra legislative council elections, an accusation he refuted.

Zeeshan expressed gratitude to Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare for their unwavering belief in him during challenging times. He acknowledged the nomination from Bandra East and confidently stated, “With the immense love and support of the community, I am certain of reclaiming victory in Bandra East once more.” This sentiment marks a deeply emotional day for Zeeshan and his family as he joins the NCP.

The leader, aged 32, is the offspring of Baba Siddique, a prominent figure in the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and a former minister in Maharashtra. Baba Siddique was fatally shot earlier this month.

Zeeshan Siddique emerged victorious in the Vandre East (Bandra East) constituency during the 2019 elections, securing a win over Vishwanath Mahadeshwar from Shiv Sena, who had previously served as the Mayor of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

In the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, the Congress ally Shiv Sena (UBT) has secured a seat through a seat-sharing pact. Varun Sardesai, the nephew of party leader Uddhav Thackeray, has been chosen as their representative for this seat.

Following the tragic killing of his father, Zeeshan is now anticipated to garner backing for the position. The incident unfolded on October 12 when Baba Siddiqui, aged 66, was fatally shot outside Zeeshan Siddique’s workplace in Bandra. In response to the incident, law enforcement has apprehended 14 suspects and is delving into different angles such as planned assassination and commercial competition to unveil the underlying reasons for the heinous crime.

Baba Siddiqui, a one-time Maharashtra minister, held the position of Congress MLA for Vandre from 1999 to 2009. Following the division of the constituency, he then served as the representative for Vandre West from 2009 to 2014. Recent developments saw him parting ways with the Congress earlier this year to align himself with the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP.