Support or No Support: Contradictions Emerge in Mahayuti Alliance over Nawab Malik's Candidature as Maharashtra Elections Approach

As Maharashtra's Assembly elections draw near, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing scrutiny over its stance on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Nawab Malik. From the outset, the BJP made it clear that it would not support Malik due to his alleged ties to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. However, recent developments within the Mahayuti alliance have raised questions about this position.

While the BJP continues to publicly distance itself from Malik, the alliance has unexpectedly awarded a ticket to his daughter, Sana Malik, for the same constituency where he serves as MLA. This decision has sparked confusion about the BJP's commitment to its initial claims regarding Malik.

Complicating matters further, Nawab Malik has filed his nomination from the NCP, which is part of the Mahayuti alliance, for the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency, where the Shiv Sena has also nominated Shivaji Patil. Meanwhile, the Maha Vikas Aghadi has put forth Abu Azmi from the Samajwadi Party as a candidate.

These developments raise critical questions: If the BJP opposes Nawab Malik, why has a ticket been granted to his daughter? Was Ajit Pawar, a key player in the alliance, informed about Malik’s nomination when the AB form was issued? If so, how does this align with the alliance’s supposed unity?

Despite the apparent disarray, Mahayuti leaders assert that seat-sharing negotiations are progressing smoothly. Yet, the presence of multiple candidates from the same alliance in two constituencies suggests otherwise.

As the deadline for withdrawing nominations approaches on November 4, Mahayuti officials are convening meetings to encourage candidates to step back. The question remains: if the BJP refuses to campaign for Nawab Malik, who will it ultimately support in Mankhurd—Sana Malik or Avinash Rane, who has also filed from the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction.)