Mumbai, Aug 13 (IANS) Ahead of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Wednesday appointed former minister Nawab Malik as the chief of the Election Coordination Committee.

This is Malik’s comeback in Mumbai politics, especially after his defeat in the assembly elections held last year from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency.

Being chief of the Election Coordination Committee, Malik is now likely to hold discussions regarding seat sharing with the MahaYuti allies, such as the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, if the three parties decide to contest the election unitedly as Mahayuti.

“Nawab Malik will be responsible for deciding the party’s election strategy in Mumbai for the upcoming civic polls. It includes finalising the seats to be contested, candidates and overall coordination within the party,” said a senior leader after the meeting.

After losing the 2024 assembly election from the Mankhurd-Shivajinagar assembly constituency, Malik was hardly seen as politically active. He had vacated his sitting seat of Anushaktinagar for his daughter, who managed to win the poll.

In the previous term of the government, Malik had a swinging political journey from being a cabinet minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray to being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was against Malik’s presence at the treasury benches after Ajit Pawar led the NCP, joined the Eknath Shinde government.

The BJP had objected to Malik’s involvement, given his past arrest on February 23, 2022, by the ED in a money laundering case related to the Goawala compound property in Kurla.

Malik was released on bail in August 2023 on health grounds, following which he rejoined the NCP after Ajit Pawar’s faction aligned with the BJP. Malik’s presence on the treasury benches during the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur led to discontent within the BJP.

In response, then Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis issued a strongly worded letter, objecting to Malik’s association with the ruling coalition.

“We strongly oppose Nawab Malik’s inclusion in the ruling alliance. While he has the right to attend the Assembly session, his inclusion in the NCP is unacceptable, given he is on bail and has not been cleared of charges,” Fadnavis wrote.

–IANS

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