Mumbai: Even though he has yet to fully recover from his father Baba Siddique’s death, Zeeshan Siddique, who was visibly emotional on Friday, chose to start a new innings by joining the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, reiterating that the “fight is far from over.”
Zeeshan, who left the Congress after being denied renomination, on Friday joined the NCP and he was immediately nominated from the Bandra East constituency against Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Varun Sardesai.
Ajit Pawar, who had visited the hospital after Baba Siddique’s killing and met Zeeshan, wished the latter all success.
Zeeshan may ride on a sympathy wave but he certainly has to step up his outreach with voters as he has deserted the Congress and joined the NCP.
The NCP had suffered heavily as voters from minorities ditched it during the Lok Sabha elections and voted for the Maha Vikas Aghadi fearing the change in Constitution and cancellation in their reservation if the BJP was voted to power after winning 400 plus seats.
Zeeshan faces a tough challenge to keep his supporters, especially from the minority communities, to retain his seat.
Besides, Zeeshan will have to tweak his poll strategy to lure the Marathi-speaking voters who will be tapped by Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Varun Sardesai.
Shiv Sena (UBT) is approaching the voters to defeat the ‘gaddars (traitors)’ and those who want to belittle the importance of Mumbai by favouring Gujarat.
Bandra East Assembly Constituency is a part of Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha Constituency where Zeeshan had won, defeating the united Shiv Sena nominee and former Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar.
This constituency has more middle class voters and there is a significant proportion of Marathi and Hindi-speaking people, apart from voters from the Muslim community.
After joining NCP, Zeeshan said, “Ajit Pawar, Sunil Tatkare stood behind me in difficult times and helped me. I will win with a record margin. The Congress has contacted many times and many things have happened. But the Congress party’s hypocrisy was exposed. I don’t see any challenge from Varun Sardesai. I will win with a higher margin.”
It must be mentioned here that Zeeshan’s father and former Congress minister Baba Siddique had joined the NCP in February and he was the front runner for his nomination to the state council from the Governor’s quota. However, he was murdered on October 12.
Zeeshan had blamed the Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi for deserting him in his difficult times and disowning him during the nomination.
Zeeshan in an emotional post sharing a photo with his father late Baba Siddique said, “Five years ago, on results day, this picture captured a moment made possible by your hard work and faith in me, Dad. Now, with you gone, I feel the weight of the people who loved you for your service and dedication to them. I am waiting for a signal from you, as I always did. Miss you every day.”
In another post, Zeeshan took a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) without directly naming it and said, “I have heard that old friends have declared candidate from Bandra East. Staying together was never in their nature. Keep a relationship with only those who give you respect and honour. Meaning there is no benefit in increasing the crowd. Now, the public will decide.”
Amid the ongoing investigations into the killing of his father Baba Siddique, he declared that he was not deterred by threats but his fight will continue in future too.
“They silenced my father. But they forget, he was a lion, and I carry his roar within me, his fight in my veins. He stood for justice, fought for change and withstood the storms with unwavering courage. Now, those who brought him down turn their sights on me assuming they have won, to them I declare: The blood of a lion runs in my veins. I am still here, unafraid and unbroken. They took one, but I rose in his place. This fight is far from over. Today, I stand where he stood: Alive, Relentless and Ready. To my people of Bandra East, I am always with you,” he said.
(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)
–IANS