Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Nawab Malik A Big Challenge For NCP-BJP 'Strategic' Alliance

NCP leader Nawab Malik is proving to be a headache for the Mahayuti ahead of the Maharashtra elections, with the BJP opposing him. Reports said his daughter Sana is the NCP candidate from the Anushakti Nagar seat.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik has become a sore point for the already rickety Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra ahead of the assembly elections. While the BJP has repeatedly opposed his inclusion in the Mahayuti, Ajit Pawar has been adamant to back him up. Now, as the Maharashtra Assembly election date of November 20 draws closer, Nawab Malik's possible candidature from Ajit Pawar's NCP has become a problem for the alliance comprising the BJP, the NCP (Ajit Pawar), and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde).

Nawab Malik's Controversies

Nawab Malik, a former Maharashtra minister, is a five-time MLA. He currently represents the Anushakti Nagar Assembly constituency in Mumbai suburban district.

Nawab Malik has been embroiled in a number of controversies over the past couple of years, even being jailed. In October 2021, he launched a full-frontal war on then Narcotics Control Bureau Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede. He accused Wankhede of extorting several high-profile Bollywood stars. He also accused Wankhede of forging his documents to hide his religion and cast to bag an Indian Revenue Services job using the Scheduled Caste category reservation.

Nawab Malik was arrested by the ED in February 2022 over allegations of money laundering and links to underworld don and 1993 Mumbai blasts mastermind Dawood Ibrahim. He was released on bail in July 2024.

Nawab Malik And BJP

Nawab Malik's relationship has been sour with the BJP since his Congress days. In recent times, Malik, who switched to the Samajwadi Party and then settled with the NCP, picked up a fight with the BJP when Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was arrested in an alleged drugs case aboard a Cordellia cruise ship. Wankhede was leading the case.

Nawab Malik had then accused the BJP of using the NCB for its political agenda. He said the BJP's objective was to "defame The Maharashtra government and Bollywood.

After his release from jail, Nawab Malik attended the winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly sitting on the treasury benches (Ajit Pawar had rebelled and joined the BJP-Sena government by this time). This was despite, the BJP's strong objection to Ajit Pawar inducting him into the Mahayuti.

Devendra Fadnavis, who shares the Deputy CM's Chair with Ajit Pawar, even wrote to the latter stating that due to the nature of the allegations against him, the BJP was against his inclusion in the Mahayuti. Fadnavis, however, has said that Malik was out on bail but if the charges against him are proven to be false, the BJP was ready to welcome him into the Mahayuti fold. However, Ajit Pawar ignored Fadnavis and invited Malik to join his camp. 

In 2021, Nawab Malik had said that the NCP will never join the BJP. However, last year the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar joined the Mahayuti and Malik chose to be a part of the alliance led by the BJP. Back then, he said in a podcast interview, 'Visionary Talk', that Ajit Pawar joining the BJP in 2019 was a "mistake".

Why Is Nawab Malik Important For NCP?

Malik is a five-time MLA and was considered close to Sharad Pawar. He is extremely popular among Muslim voters, which gives the party an edge in constituencies dominated by the community.

Nawab Malik In Maharashtra Elections

Now, the BJP has said that it would strongly oppose any attempt at giving Nawab Malik a ticket for the Maharashtra elections. "BJP's Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar said that the party would not accept if any person linked to Dawood Ibrahim is fielded in the elections. 

However, if reports are to be believed, the NCP is sure to field Nawab Malik's daughter Sana Malik Sheikh from the Anushakti Nagar Assembly constituency. She is likely to file her nomination on October 23 after Ajit Pawar's NCP formally announces her candidature. The NCP has already distributed the AB form to its candidates, which means they have the party's official support to contest a particular seat.

Although an official confirmation is awaited, Nawab Malik seems to be determined to fight from Anushakti Nagar, or at least have a family member contest the seat. He was seen campaigning on Monday in the constituency. "As the elections draw near, the progress in Anushakti Nagar stands as a testament to the remarkable work I have carried out over the years. My bond with this area is not just political; it is personal and deeply emotional. For decades, I have known the people of this constituency personally, and my connection to them runs deep," the MLA, who is out on bail on medical grounds, said in a Facebook post.

The NCP's relationship with its allies — the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) — is at its lowest since the party joined the Mahayuti. The NCP has been speaking out against the Shiv Sena while Shinde's party has left no stone unturned to return the favour. Moreover, the RSS cadre has reportedly refused to campaign for the NCP, a party which the BJP had been opposing for years. Last year at the ABP Ideas of Summit, Devendra Fadnavis had said that the NCP was a "strategic ally" while the Shiv Sena was an "emotional ally" for the BJP.

It remains to be seen how the NCP's allies react to a member of the Malik family getting a ticket after all the animosity.