Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddiqui on Monday took part in the Nationalist Congress Party’s Jan Samman Yatra led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Siddiqui also said that the Congress is ignoring him. The Yatra reached Bandra East in Mumbai in the afternoon, from where Siddiqui is a Congress MLA. Siddiqui’s father and former MLA Baba Siddiqui recently left the Congress and joined the Ajit Pawar-led party. Last month, during the Legislative Council elections in the state, six Congress MLAs had ‘cross-voted’. There was talk that Zeeshan Siddiqui was among those 6 MLAs.
Zeeshan Siddiqui said, “I am taking the responsibility of welcoming the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, as his rally will pass through my constituency. I am taking this opportunity to express my support for the government’s Majhi Ladki Behen Yojana, which will greatly benefit many women in our state.” Attacking the Congress, Siddiqui said that his party is not inviting him to events and meetings. He claimed, “A few days ago, MP Varsha Gaikwad organised a Nyay rally in Mumbai, which passed through my constituency. Despite being in the Congress, I was neither consulted nor invited to participate in it. This is how I am being treated.”
‘Distribution of nomination papers to candidates begins’
The Bandra East MLA said, ‘Congress has started distributing nomination papers to the candidates. However, when my representative contacted the party, he was refused nomination papers. The message is clear to me. Nevertheless, I am determined to contest the upcoming assembly elections.’ At the same time, some people showed black flags to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during the Jan Samman Yatra in Junnar area of ​​​​Pune district on Sunday. Some of the protesters were carrying BJP flags. They criticized Pawar for organizing official functions and sidelining allies. NCP spokesperson Amol Mitkari sought an explanation from BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on this incident. NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are constituents of the ruling Mahayuti in the state.