Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: Won’t campaign for Nawab Malik because of his Dawood link, says BJP

Nawab Malik files his nomination form to contest the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly segment

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reiterated that it will not campaign for Nawab Malik who, in a tacit understanding with the NCP (Ajit Pawar), has filed his nomination from the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly segment. Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar issued a statement in this regard on Tuesday.

"BJP's stand in this matter is very clear from the beginning. The allies have decided their candidates. The matter is only about Malik, who is NCP's nominee. DyCM Devendra Fadnavis and I have made the party's position very clear in the past. I reiterate that the BJP will not campaign for Malik because we don't want to do it for a person connected with Dawood Ibrahim [the underworld fugitive] and the cases related to him," said Shelar.

However, he said that the BJP would campaign for Malik's daughter Sana who is contesting from Anushakti Nagar, because there was no evidence against her. "The Mahayuti candidate will be the BJP's candidate," Shelar said.