NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Mumbai on October 12 night. Mumbai Police has apprehended two individuals in connection with the incident. Siddique, 66, a former Maharashtra minister, had quit the Congress in February this year to join the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Siddique, a key political figure in Maharashtra, previously served as the Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies, Labour, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, he was perhaps best known for his socialite persona, particularly for hosting grand iftar parties that became an annual political and social event.
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The three-time MLA from Bandra West is the second senior member of the Mumbai Congress to switch political allegiance this year. Former Union minister Milind Deora had earlier joined the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in January.
Born to Abdul Rahim and Razia Siddique, Baba Siddique was married to Shehzeen Siddique and had two children, Dr. Arshia Siddique and Zeeshan Siddique. His son, Zeeshan, is also a politician and was elected as a Congress MLA from Bandra East in Mumbai.
Siddique’s political journey began in 1977 when he joined the Indian National Congress as a teenager. By 1980, he had become the General Secretary of the Bandra Taluka Youth Congress, and in 1982, he rose to the position of President of the Bandra Taluka Youth Congress, a role he held for a decade. His leadership in youth politics culminated in his election as President of the Mumbai Youth Congress in 1988.
In 1992, Siddique was elected as a Municipal Councillor in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), marking his entry into municipal politics. His rise continued with three consecutive terms as an MLA from 1999, securing re-election in 2004 and 2009. From 2000 to 2004, Siddique also served as Chairman of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) Mumbai Board.
Between 2004 and 2008, Siddique held ministerial responsibilities in the Maharashtra government as Minister of State for Food & Civil Supplies, Labour, FDA, and Consumer Protection. He was also recognized for championing urban development and social welfare projects, including the creation of an Eco-Garden in Bandra-Khar in 2011.
Throughout his political career, Siddique’s iftar parties became a hallmark of his influence, bringing together political leaders from various parties, Bollywood celebrities, and prominent business figures. His 2013 iftar party became especially famous when Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan publicly ended their five-year-long feud by embracing each other. Siddique was credited with orchestrating the reconciliation between the two actors.
Despite his prominence, Siddique faced a major setback in 2014 when he lost his Bandra West seat in the Maharashtra state elections. However, he remained active in public life, continuing his involvement in the Congress and working on various social causes.
Earlier this year, Siddique made headlines once again when he left the Congress in February to join Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction.
His son, Zeeshan, who had followed in his political footsteps, faced expulsion from the Congress in August, following allegations of cross-voting by seven Congress MLAs in the biennial elections to the Legislative Council.
Siddique had recently been granted 'Y' category security after receiving death threats in late September.
(With inputs from Times of India, India Today)
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