Malegaon: In a major setback to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, former mayor and sitting corporator, and son of the Malegaon NCP president, Abdul Malik Tuesday left the party to join Asaduddin Owaisi led Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM).
“Former mayor and sitting NCP corporator has joined the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and he will be the party candidate for the Maharashtra election from Malegaon”, Asaduddin Owaisi, MIM president and Hyderabad MP, said while talking to ummid.com on phone.
It was also formally announced in a press conference late in the night on Tuesday by Jafer Hussain Meraj, Telangana legislator from Narapally and the MIM observer for Aurangabad and Malegaon.
Meraj travelled from Aurangabad to Malegaon just to announce Abdul Malik’s candidature.
The press conference was jointly addressed by Rizwan Batterywala, president of MIM Malegaon.
Along with Malik, some other NCP leaders have also joined the MIM.
Abdul Malik, ex-mayor and sitting NCP corporator, and also the son of Malegaon unit NCP chief Yunus Isa, was unhappy by the party high command’s decision to give party ticket to sitting MLA Mufti Ismael.
Abdul Malik is second senior NCP leader who has joined the MIM. Earlier, Shajju Lala of NCP, who is Deputy Mayor in Prabhani civic body, and former Maharashtra minister and Dalit leader Gangadhar Gade of Aurangabad had also joined the MIM.
Interestingly, Abdul Malik’s decision to join MIM and contest the election on the party ticket was announced on the day when NCP national president Sharad Pawar was scheduled to address a party rally for Mufti Ismael.
The rally, though attended by a large crowd, was overshadowed because of the split in the NCP.
The split in NCP and the induction of Abdul Malik and other NCP leaders are seen as a timely shot in arm for the MIM, the Hyderabad based party, which is looking for an entry into the Maharashtra assembly.
The MIM surprised political observers in 2011 when it won 11 seats in the Nanded civic elections.
The party already has a strong presence in Hyderabad and Telangana assembly.
MIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi is party MP from Hyderabad, and is known for his fiery speeches in and outside the parliament. Last year he was also conferred best parliamentarian award.
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