Nawab Malik's bond with Ajit Pawar: BJP's tight spot

NCP chief Ajit Pawar (L) and Anushaktinagar MLA Nawab Malik (Courtesy: PTI)

The suspense over Mumbai's Anushaktinagar MLA Nawab Malik's political leanings has ended. By sharing the stage with NCP chief Ajit Pawar last Monday, he has clearly indicated that in the Uncle vs. Nephew fight, he is with the nephew. However, Malik's affinity with Ajit Pawar has put the BJP in a tight spot. Before the NCP split, the BJP targeted Nawab Malik over his alleged underworld links.

When Nawab Malik was a minister in the MVA government, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had alleged that he had links with associates of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Later on, Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate over dubious land deals with alleged members of the D-Company. While he was incarcerated, the NCP split after a rebellion by Ajit Pawar. The rebel faction then joined the incumbent Mahayuti government. Last year, after getting bail on health grounds, Malik didn’t disclose whether he remained loyal to Sharad Pawar or sided with his nephew Ajit Pawar. However, he gave a hint of his political leanings while attending the winter session of the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha last December.

While in the house, Malik sat among the treasury benches along with the rebel NCP MLAs led by Ajit Pawar. This was an embarrassing scene for Devendra Fadnavis. The opposition MVA was quick to question whether he agreed with an accused having links with Dawood Ibrahim becoming part of the ruling alliance. An infuriated Fadnavis then wrote an open letter to Ajit Pawar expressing his displeasure and subtly warning him against inducting Nawab Malik. However, Ajit Pawar has ignored Fadnavis’s resentment. The letter by Fadnavis aggravated his position further when the Opposition asked whether Fadnavis was okay with Praful Patel, who was also under investigation by the central agencies for his alleged deals with gangster Iqbal Mirchi, a henchman of Dawood.

Last Monday, when Ajit Pawar's Jan Samman Yatra reached Mumbai, Nawab Malik not only welcomed it but also shared the stage with him in a public meeting. Malik's daughter Sana has also been made a spokesperson of the NCP. It is likely that the NCP will give a ticket to either the father or the daughter in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha polls.

This bonhomie between Ajit Pawar and Nawab Malik has once again offered ammunition to the MVA to target Devendra Fadnavis. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut reminded Fadnavis of his letter to Ajit Pawar. Fadnavis retorted by saying that he has not changed his stance on Nawab Malik. The entry of Nawab Malik has once again put Ajit Pawar’s relationship with the Mahayuti under the scanner. After the Lok Sabha debacle, a few publications of the RSS had criticized the decision of inducting Ajit Pawar into the alliance and alleged that it dented the image of the BJP.