Mumbai: With only 24 hours left to file nominations for the Maharashtra assembly elections, several key leaders stepped out to file their nominations on Monday. Among them, was Zeeshan Siddique, who has been fielded from Mumbai's Bandra East seat. Siddique dumped Congess and joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP last week and has been fielded from Bandra East, from where he won in 2014 with a Congress ticket.
Before filing his nomination, speaking with the media, Zeeshan thanked Ajit Pawar and other NCP leaders like Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel for standing by him during the difficult time. Zeeshan's father, Baba Siddique was shot dead on Dusserah day right in middle of the road outside his Bandra office. The local politics took a new turn after the sensational murder.
I am grateful to the public who stood with me during this difficult time. My father gave his life working for the public. I will follow his footsteps. He is my guiding light. In last five years, I have completed works in Bandra East which could not be done for the last 20 years. I will continue working for housing issues in Bandra East," Zeeshan said speaking with ANI.
Varun Sardesai To Contest Against Zeeshan Siddique
The MVA left the Bandra East seat for the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Thackeray faction. The Sena (UBT) has fielded Yuva Sena leader Varun Sardesai from the constituency. Sardesai is maternal cousin of Aaditya Thackeray and another prominent young face of Sena UBT.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the BBC, Zeeshan Siddique said that Bollywood star Salman Khan, who is also a close friend of the Siddique family, calls him every night after his father's murder. Salmam Bhai is a huge support for me, Zeeshan said.
Salman Khan's friendly relations with Zeeshan highlight his support for Zeeshan's career choice. This also makes the battle for Sena UBT candidate Varun Sardesai a challenging one. Sardesai has filed his nomination last week.
