Everything will become clear on Nov 4: Ajit Pawar on Nawab Malik

MUMBAI
Reacting to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s criticism over Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik’s candidature from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency, party president Ajit Pawar said “the picture will become clear on November 4” – the last date for withdrawing nominations for candidates.
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Ajit Pawar made the statement while campaigning in Malad village, Baramati, on Friday.
On Thursday, deputy chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was emphatic that neither he nor his party’s leaders will campaign for Malik “at any cost”. He had earlier accused the NCP leader of having links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Mahayuti leaders will campaign for the Shiv Sena candidate in Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar instead, he added.
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Meanwhile, Malik warned of legal action against those trying to link him with Dawood. “I will go to court and file a case against them as the allegations are false and baseless,” Malik told a Marathi news channel on Thursday.
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He is contesting from the constituency against three-term Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Abu Asim Azmi. He was prepared to fight as an independent candidate, in the face of BJP opposing his candidature from the Mahayuti. However, on the last day of filing nomination (October 29), NCP handed over the AB form to Malik confirming his candidacy from the party.
Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2022 in connection with a money laundering probe, but was granted bail on medical grounds by the Supreme Court in August 2023.