"Party trusted me during last moments, will contest the election with complete power": Nawab Malik

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 2 (ANI): NCP leader and candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Nawab Malik on Saturday, speaking to ANI, expressed confidence in winning the upcoming assembly elections from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly seat despite opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena Shinde faction.
"It was clear that when I will contest the elections, both Shiv Sena and BJP will oppose...But the way the party trusted me during these moments, sent the AB form and made me the candidate for the party...I will contest the elections with complete power..." he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar already clarified that the party would not be campaigning in support of Nationalist Congress Party's (Ajit Pawar) Nawab Malik, the candidate from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar Assembly on Wednesday.
The Shiv sena has also expressed opposition, claiming his links with underworld don and gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
Earlier on October 29, Nawab Malik filed his nomination as an NCP candidate. Before he had also filed as an independent candidate. Currently, the assembly seat is held by Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi.
During nomination, Malik expressed his gratitude to the NCP leadership and said, "I am very thankful to (Deputy Chief Minister) Ajit Pawar, NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel, and NCP leader Sunil Tatkare. They have confidence in me (to win the elections). A huge number of voters will support me."
The BJP is in alliance with NCP (Ajit Pawar), and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), called the Mahayuti alliance. The other major alliance for the state's assembly election is the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising of Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP, and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23. In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42. (ANI)