Mumbai: The Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar seat in Mumbai is set to witness one of the toughest battles in the Maharashtra elections, as state Samajwadi Party chief Abu Azmi is facing his old friend and NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Nawab Malik, while Mahayuti's Shiv Sena has also fielded its candidate from this high-profile seat.
This seat also highlights the infighting within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
Abu Azmi, who is also a sitting MLA from the seat, and NCP senior leader Nawab Malik were once close friends, but political ambitions have brought them face to face in this elections.
Before talking about the friendship and new equations between Abu Azmi and Nawab Malik, let's talk about some interesting facts related to this seat, due to which this seat remains in discussions.
Actually, after the seat sharing in Mahayuti, this seat went to Shiv Sena Shinde faction. Therefore, Nawab Malik's dream of contesting elections from here was shattered. Then, he rebelled against the alliance and filed nomination as an independent candidate from here. But at the last day of nomination, Ajit Pawar's NCP, an ally of Mahayuti, spranged a surprise by supporting Nawab Malik from here and created a new problem in the alliance. Ajit Pawar-led NCP had given AB form to Malik, following which, he filled the form from here as an NCP candidate.
Infighting withing Mahayuti comes to fore
Also Read |
Maharashtra: Nawab Malik files nomination from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat
The candidature of Nawab Malik on this seat brought the Mahayuti's rift to the open. The BJP accused Nawab Malik of being in touch with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. The BJP even refused to support and campaign for Nawab Malik due to his alleged connection to India's most wanted criminal.
41 candidates vying for the seat
Suresh Patil alias Bullet Patil of CM Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena is in the fray against Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's candidate Nawab Malik. Nawab Malik's old friend and SP MLA Abu Azmi is also contesting against him from here. Rajendra Waghmare of Shiv Sena (UBT) is also in the fray, although he has filed nomination as an independent. A total of 41 candidates, including MNS and BSP candidates, are in the fray from this high-profile seat.
Both Abu Asim Azmi and Nawab Malik are considered to be big Muslim leaders of Maharashtra. Azmi and Malik have been trying their luck from Muslim- dominated seats of Mumbai. Recently, Nawab Malik has been contesting from Mumbai's Anushaktinagar seat while Abu Asim Azmi has been contesting from Mumbai's Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat and getting elected as MLA. There used to be a deep friendship between these two. Nawab Malik was also once a strong leader of SP.
After the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992, seeing the public's anger against the Congress and the inclination of minorities towards SP, Nawab Malik joined the Samajwadi Party. He was also considered close to Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Malik joins NCP in 2004
Nawab Malik contested elections from the Muslim-dominated Nehru Nagar seat of Maharashtra twice on a SP ticket and was elected MLA in 1996 and 1999, but after the UPA government came to power in the Centre in the 2004, he left the SP and joined the NCP. He was considered close to Sharad Pawar. He was elected MLA in Maharashtra a total of 5 times. After the split in the NCP, he joined Ajit Pawar group.
Also Read |
FIR filled against Arvind Sawant over remark on Shaina NC
Nawab Malik has been the warlord of the Samajwadi Party. Nawab Malik and Abu Asim Azmi did a lot of work for the Samajwadi Party in Maharashtra and they were very close to each opther. Both of them started their politics from the same party and also achieved a high status in politics. But later, they separated their paths. Now, the command of SP in Maharashtra is with Abu Asim Azmi and Malik has become his opponent.
NCP has made this contest interesting by fielding Nawab Malik from SP's stronghold Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat. This new fight of these two old friends in Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly seat is now to get Muslim votes. North Indian Muslims are in mojority here and both these leaders come from Purvanchal of Uttar Pradesh.
Malik & Azmi originally from UP
Nawab Malik originally hails from Uttaraula tehsil of Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh while Abu Azmi hails from Azamgarh in UP. Both the leaders learnt politics in the school of socialism and under the patronage of Mulayam Singh Yadav. But today politics has forced these two friends and leaders to fight against each other.
Both the leaders never faced each others like this, but politics has forced them to fight by pitting them against each other. This contest between the two is going to be very exciting. Now, it will be interesting to see who will emerge victorius in this battle?
