Will continue my father's legacy, says Zeeshan Siddique, claims record-breaking win for NCP

Mumbai: NCP leader Zeeshan Siddique on Friday vowed to continue the legacy of his father, Baba Siddique, who was gunned down earlier this month and said his party would win with a record-breaking majority the state assembly elections.

Talking to PTI after the NCP announced him as its candidate from the Bandra East constituency, the MLA said that in these difficult times, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare believed in him.

"It was an emotional moment for my family, and when people who were friends played games with us, Ajitdada kept his word, believed in me and the Bandra East constituency’s demand to see me as an MLA. I will fight elections and fulfil my father’s dream."

Zeeshan had won the Bandra East seat on a Congress ticket in the 2019 state elections. Congress suspended him for cross-voting in the recent legislative council elections. His father and Congress veteran Baba Siddique had crossed over to the NCP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, earlier this year.

Baba Siddique, 66, was shot dead outside Zeeshan’s office in Bandra on October 12. Eleven people have been arrested in connection with the killing.

"My father's absence will always be felt. My sister and I are unmarried, and he would ask us to get married and give him grandchildren, but we didn’t think something like this would happen. We will continue his fight. I believe he will get justice, and my family will get justice," said an emotional Zeeshan.

The NCP leader vowed to continue his father's legacy and his work for the society.

"My father was a great man and had a following world over. After his murder, I received thousands of messages like 'Baba bhai had paid my daughter's fees', and someone said he had paid for their mother's treatment. We will fight the elections by taking all the love and blessings my father received. I believe we will win with a majority and have a record-breaking victory," he said.

Zeeshan accused the Congress of not being secular and claimed that the party did not give seats to Muslim candidates.

"For the first time, I saw there was no Muslim in the upper house, and now the NCP nominated a Muslim. Ajitdada is a leader who takes along people from every group and religion and is actually secular. There is a party which was not secular but has called itself secular overnight, like the Shiv Sena (UBT). This is not secularism." Zeeshan said he is not sure if he was the target of shooters as the murder took place outside his office.

"I don’t know if I was the target, as people and media have said it happened outside my office. If this was the case, then even in his final moments, my father protected me, and if I am alive, it must be because I need to protect people and fight for them," he said, hoping that his family would get justice soon.

The legislator said he has worked for Bandra East for the last five years and completed pending tasks.

"We will show them (voters) the work done and the sacrifice my family has made. We will tell them about the issues in the areas of Gareeb Nagar and Bharat Nagar and how we worked to protect people's homes," he said.

The NCP will have a record-breaking victory from Bandra East, he said.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will be held on November 20, and votes will be counted on November 23.