NEW DELHI: Nawab Malik on Sunday said that he was solely a candidate of Nationalist Congress Party-Ajit Pawar faction- and the Mahayuti alliance was against him, after ally BJP and Shiv Sena voiced strong opposition against "anyone linked to international terrorist like Dawood."
"I am the candidate of Nationalist Congress Party , I am with Ajit Pawar, he has made me a candidate, now Mahayuti alliance people, whether from Bharatiya Janata Party , Shiv Sena, they are fighting the elections against me and my fight is with them," the candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji assembly constituency told ANI.
Malik added that linking his name to Dawood Ibrahim was defamatory and he was ready to take a legal route against these "false allegations."
"The way I am being linked to the underworld, people have even called me a traitor in the Vidhan Sabha, and connecting me to terrorists, I have said clearly that we did not reply to it because there was a restriction of speaking on it. Whoever tries to defame my image, they have a right to speak and I have the right to defend. There are laws in the country too," he said.
"Through criminal defamation or civil defamation, we will take action against the people who have been putting these false allegations against me," he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party's Mumbai chief, Ashish Shelar, had made it clear that the party will not support Nawab Malik during the campaign. "We will not accept giving a ticket to someone linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim," Shelar had said.
Reiterating similar views, Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde had said, "Our decision is clear, and our candidate is also contesting. Our stand is clear... We will not change our stand... We will see on November 4. Ajit Pawar is our alliance partner, and we will work in alliance."
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are set to take place on November 20, with the counting of votes for all 288 constituencies scheduled for November 23. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 105 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 56 and the Congress with 44. In 2014, the BJP had a stronger showing, securing 122 seats, while the Shiv Sena won 63 and the Congress took 42 seats.
"I am the candidate of Nationalist Congress Party , I am with Ajit Pawar, he has made me a candidate, now Mahayuti alliance people, whether from Bharatiya Janata Party , Shiv Sena, they are fighting the elections against me and my fight is with them," the candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji assembly constituency told ANI.
Malik added that linking his name to Dawood Ibrahim was defamatory and he was ready to take a legal route against these "false allegations."
"The way I am being linked to the underworld, people have even called me a traitor in the Vidhan Sabha, and connecting me to terrorists, I have said clearly that we did not reply to it because there was a restriction of speaking on it. Whoever tries to defame my image, they have a right to speak and I have the right to defend. There are laws in the country too," he said.
"Through criminal defamation or civil defamation, we will take action against the people who have been putting these false allegations against me," he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party's Mumbai chief, Ashish Shelar, had made it clear that the party will not support Nawab Malik during the campaign. "We will not accept giving a ticket to someone linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim," Shelar had said.
Reiterating similar views, Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde had said, "Our decision is clear, and our candidate is also contesting. Our stand is clear... We will not change our stand... We will see on November 4. Ajit Pawar is our alliance partner, and we will work in alliance."
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are set to take place on November 20, with the counting of votes for all 288 constituencies scheduled for November 23. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 105 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 56 and the Congress with 44. In 2014, the BJP had a stronger showing, securing 122 seats, while the Shiv Sena won 63 and the Congress took 42 seats.
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