Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: Baba Siddique's son Zeeshan Siddique joins Ajit Pawar's NCP; watch video

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Ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, Zeeshan Siddique, son of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique - who was shot dead earlier this month, joined the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party on Friday morning.

Soon after he joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the party announced Zeeshan Siddique as its candidate from Bandra East Constituency for the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024.

Zeeshan Siddique was expelled by the Congress in August after the party reported cross-voting in legislative council polls. He will defend the Vandre (East) seat he won in 2019 from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Varun Sardesai.

After joining NCP, Zeeshan Siddiqui said, "Maha Vikas Aghadi declared their candidates and Congress' sitting seat was given to Shiv Sena (UBT), this is very unfortunate. Congress leaders and Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders were in touch with me in the past few days, but they intended to deceive me. In that difficult time, Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and NCP placed their trust in me. I am thankful to them. It was an unfinished dream of my father that we have to win this seat again and fight for the rights of the people. He was murdered while fighting for this. His blood runs in my veins and I will fight his fight and win Bandra East with a record margin."

On Thursday, Bandra East MLA Zeeshan Siddique has criticised the decision of the Shiv Sena (UBT) to field a candidate in his constituency for the upcoming Maharashtra polls, saying staying together was never in their nature.

The legislator has been suspended from Congress for cross-voting in the recent legislative council elections.

Even though his father Baba Siddique, who was shot dead in Bandra earlier this month, had crossed over from Congress to the NCP earlier this year, Zeeshan is yet to make his political move clear.

"Heard old friends have announced their candidate from Bandra East. Staying together was never in their nature. Have a relationship with only those who give you respect," Zeeshan wrote on X. He added that people would now take a decision.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) on Wednesday evening released its first list of 65 candidates for the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, picking Varun Sardesai from Bandra (East).

The Maharashtra assembly elections 2024 to the 288-member assembly will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.