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The Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar seat has transformed into a battleground as both Azmi and Malik lay claim to the secular vote base.
NEW DELHI: The Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency is witnessing a high-profile face-off between two prominent Muslim leaders. Abu Asim Azmi of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Nawab Malik of the Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar’s faction, have filed their nominations ahead of Maharashtra’s assembly elections.
Abu Asim Azmi, the sitting MLA and Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra president, is a seasoned political figure in this constituency, having held the seat since 2009. In his fourth bid, Azmi has emphasized his commitment to “brotherhood and unity,” stating in his social media posts that his tenure has focused on development for the region. Azmi’s party remains in talks with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance — consisting of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) — to negotiate a minimum of five seats, threatening to field candidates on 25 seats across the state if the request isn’t honoured. He has voiced concerns about fragmenting secular votes and stressed that SP’s goal is to keep the alliance united.
The NCP’s Nawab Malik has emerged as a significant contender in Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar after announcing his decision to challenge Azmi. Although Malik currently represents the Anushakti Nagar constituency, Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction has fielded his daughter, Sana Malik, in that seat against Fahad Ahmed, a candidate from Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction. In his statements, Malik has asserted that he will not yield to political pressure, and by filing two nominations — one as an NCP candidate and another as an independent — he has left his options open, though he later confirmed himself as NCP’s official candidate after submitting the AB form.
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Malik’s candidacy has not come without controversy. His affiliation with the Mahayuti alliance (BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction) has met resistance within the BJP, particularly due to Malik’s past association with the Maha Vikas Aghadi and his legal troubles linked to alleged underworld associations. Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar stated last week, “We will not accept giving a ticket to someone linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim,” signalling the BJP’s opposition to Malik’s candidature.
Malik’s filing comes after his recent release on bail following his 2022 arrest in a National Investigation Agency (NIA) case concerning alleged underworld connections. Despite these hurdles, Malik has remained defiant, promising to uphold his political ideology and community commitment without yielding to external pressures.
As both Azmi and Malik lay claim to the secular vote base, the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar seat has transformed into a battleground emblematic of the larger power tussles within Maharashtra’s political landscape. With elections slated for November 20, all eyes are on this constituency to see whether Azmi’s longstanding influence will withstand Malik’s new bid for dominance. The outcome could impact not just Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar but also the broader dynamics within Maharashtra’s alliances and coalition politics.
