The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, under the leadership of Sunil Tatkare, unveiled its initial list of 37 candidates for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Notable inclusions are three relatives of Nawab Malik, the party’s BMC polls in-charge: Abdul Rashid (Kaptan) Malik, Saeeda Khan, and Bushra Malik. The list showcases a blend of seasoned politicians and fresh faces, with Dhananjay (Dada) Pisal, who recently switched from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, standing for Ward 111.
The candidates selected by the NCP represent a diverse range of castes and communities, including Maratha, OBC, Muslim, Christian, Scheduled Castes, and women, aligning with the party’s principles influenced by the progressive ideologies of Shivaji, Phule, Shahu, and Ambedkar. The party is expected to reveal a second list of 32 candidates later in the day and another list on Monday. Party legislator Sana Malik had hinted that approximately 100 candidates might be fielded by the NCP in the civic polls.
This move comes amidst intricate negotiations over seat-sharing within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, where the BJP and Shiv Sena hold significant positions. Despite discussions between Tatkare and BJP’s BMC election overseer Ashish Shelar, the NCP has not yet secured a spot in the Mahayuti. The BJP has reiterated its stance of not forming an alliance with the NCP due to concerns over the latter’s election management committee being led by Nawab Malik, who is currently on bail in a money laundering case. Opting for an independent path, the NCP has decided to proceed solo after releasing its initial list of candidates.
The NCP has announced plans to distribute official party nomination letters to the candidates starting Monday. The deadline for filing nominations is December 30, with polling scheduled for January 15.
