No truck with Ajit’s NCP in BMC polls over Malik: BJP

MUMBAI: The BJP said on Wednesday that it will not have a tie-up with its MahaYuti ally NCP for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections as Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s party has named Nawab Malik, an accused in a money laundering case linked to gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s aides, as the poll in-charge. “We have been opposing Nawab Malik who faces serious charges related to money laundering and underworld links with Haseena Parker. Malik cannot be endorsed by the BJP,” senior BJP minister Ashish Shelar said. The NCP, however, said the party will contest BMC election under Malik’s leadership. Malik on Wednesday held a meeting with his party leaders in Mumbai and submitted a plan to Ajit Pawar, demanding at least 50 seats in BMC if NCP remains a part of MahaYuti alliance in Mumbai.An NCP leader close to Malik said Ajit Pawar is firm on contesting the BMC election on Malik’s leadership. “We have decided not to buckle under the pressure of the BJP and change the party leader for the BMC polls. BJP cannot interfere in our internal decision-making. If they have objections, the NCP will fight on its own, but no change is likely to happen,” he said. “Ajit Pawar will decide on whether the party should continue with Malik or replace him to facilitate alliance with the BJP in Mumbai,” he added.A political observer said that Malik as NCP in-charge for BMC polls is tricky for the BJP because it wants to consolidate its Hindutva vote bank against the Thackeray brothers. “Malik’s daughter, Sana Malik, is an NCP MLA, and she is in power in the MahaYuti alliance. BJP has no issue with Malik’s daughter allying with BJP, then why it started hating Malik on the eve of BMC polls? It is only for the election and Hindutva politics,” said the observer.



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