The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has appointed senior leader Nawab Malik as chairman of its Mumbai Election Management Committee for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, brushing aside repeated objections from its ally, the BJP.

The announcement was made by NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, who said Malik would oversee candidate selection, seat-sharing strategies, and outreach plans.

The committee also includes Mumbai MLAs Zeeshan Siddique and former Maharashtra minister Malik’s daughter Sana Malik-Shaikh, along with key members from different city districts.

The move is seen as a bid by the NCP to consolidate its minority vote base and tap into Malik’s organisational skills and influence in Mumbai’s diverse constituencies.

However, Malik’s return to a prominent political role has long been opposed by the BJP.

In December 2023, then-deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis wrote to Ajit Pawar expressing “strong reservations” over his induction, citing allegations of treason and alleged links to terrorist activities in a 2022 money laundering case tied to the Goawala Compound property in Kurla.

Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in February 2022 and granted bail on health grounds in August 2023.

In October 2024, ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP’s Mumbai president, Ashish Shelar had also criticised the NCP’s decision to field Malik. “We cannot associate with individuals facing serious allegations of treason,” Shelar had said at the time.

Despite these warnings, Ajit Pawar’s faction has stood by Malik. Party insiders say the leadership believes his political experience and community connection could be critical in the high-stakes BMC battle, where alliances and caste-community equations often shape outcomes.

The decision has triggered political chatter in Mumbai’s corridors, with observers noting that it could strain ties between the NCP and BJP in the state’s ruling alliance.

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