NEW DELHI: Zeeshan Siddique , son of Baba Siddique, officially joined the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections .
The sitting MLA from Bandra (East) made the switch on Friday morning, days after his father's murder outside Zeeshan’s office in Bandra on October 12.
His switch Ajit Pawar's NCP does not come as a surprise to any one. Zeeshan was previously suspended from Congress due to cross-voting in the recent legislative council elections.
Earlier this year he had also accused Rahul Gandhi 's team of body shaming him.
In February, Zeeshan had made startling claims about the hurdles he faced while trying to meet Rahul Gandhi. According to Siddique, he was told by individuals close to Rahul Gandhi that he needed to lose 10 kilograms before being allowed to meet the Congress leader during the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Nanded, Maharashtra.
"During the previous 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Nanded, I was told by one of the persons close to Rahul Gandhi that I should lose 10 kg before they could let me meet him," he had said.
After his removal from Congress position, he had also criticised the party for its alleged mistreatment of minority leaders and workers. He had accused the party of harboring communalism and discrimination, questioning whether being a Muslim in the Congress was a sin.
"The treatment being meted out to minority leaders and workers in the Congress is unfortunate. The extent of communalism in the Congress and Mumbai Youth Congress is unlike anywhere else. Is it a sin to be a Muslim in the Congress? The party has to answer why am I being targeted? Is it only because I am a Muslim?" he had claimed.
On Friday, as he joined NCP, Zeeshan vowed to continue the legacy of his father and said his party would win with a record-breaking majority the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. NCP has announced him as its candidate from the Bandra East constituency. Zeeshan had won the Bandra East seat on a Congress ticket in the 2019 state elections. His father and Congress veteran Baba Siddique had also crossed over to NCP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, earlier this year.
The sitting MLA from Bandra (East) made the switch on Friday morning, days after his father's murder outside Zeeshan’s office in Bandra on October 12.
His switch Ajit Pawar's NCP does not come as a surprise to any one. Zeeshan was previously suspended from Congress due to cross-voting in the recent legislative council elections.
Earlier this year he had also accused Rahul Gandhi 's team of body shaming him.
In February, Zeeshan had made startling claims about the hurdles he faced while trying to meet Rahul Gandhi. According to Siddique, he was told by individuals close to Rahul Gandhi that he needed to lose 10 kilograms before being allowed to meet the Congress leader during the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Nanded, Maharashtra.
"During the previous 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Nanded, I was told by one of the persons close to Rahul Gandhi that I should lose 10 kg before they could let me meet him," he had said.
#WATCH | Zeeshan Siddiqui, former Mumbai Youth Congress President says, "Mallikarjun Kharge is such a senior leader but even his hands are tied...Rahul Gandhi is doing his work, but it looks like his team has taken 'supari' from other parties to finish Congress. During Bharat… pic.twitter.com/wK7uLxwx0J
— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2024
After his removal from Congress position, he had also criticised the party for its alleged mistreatment of minority leaders and workers. He had accused the party of harboring communalism and discrimination, questioning whether being a Muslim in the Congress was a sin.
"The treatment being meted out to minority leaders and workers in the Congress is unfortunate. The extent of communalism in the Congress and Mumbai Youth Congress is unlike anywhere else. Is it a sin to be a Muslim in the Congress? The party has to answer why am I being targeted? Is it only because I am a Muslim?" he had claimed.
On Friday, as he joined NCP, Zeeshan vowed to continue the legacy of his father and said his party would win with a record-breaking majority the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. NCP has announced him as its candidate from the Bandra East constituency. Zeeshan had won the Bandra East seat on a Congress ticket in the 2019 state elections. His father and Congress veteran Baba Siddique had also crossed over to NCP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, earlier this year.
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