Zeeshan Siddique, the son of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday.
Previously expelled from Congress in August for allegedly voting against the party during the Maharashtra legislative council elections—a claim he denies—Zeeshan expressed his gratitude for the support he has received.
“It is an emotional day for me and my family. I am thankful to Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare for believing in me during these challenging times. I have received the nomination for Bandra East, and with the love and support of the people, I am confident that I will win this seat once again,” he stated after joining the NCP.
The 32-year-old leader is the son of Baba Siddique, a prominent NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) leader and former Maharashtra minister, who was tragically shot dead earlier this month.
In the 2019 elections, Zeeshan Siddique won the Bandra East seat by defeating Shiv Sena’s Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, a former Mayor of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
However, this seat has now been allocated to Congress ally Shiv Sena (UBT) under a seat-sharing agreement within the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition. Varun Sardesai, the nephew of party chief Uddhav Thackeray, has been selected as their candidate.
Following his father’s murder, Zeeshan is anticipated to garner increased support in the constituency. Baba Siddique, aged 66, was shot outside his son’s office in Bandra on October 12. Authorities have arrested 14 individuals and are investigating various motives behind the murder, including contract killing and business rivalry.
Baba Siddique served as the Congress MLA for Vandre from 1999 to 2009. After the seat was restructured, he represented Vandre West from 2009 to 2014. Earlier this year, he left the Congress to join the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP.