Ruckus engulfed Maharashtra over the candidature of Nawab Malik, who is a former Maharashtra minister and a leader from NCP's Ajit Pawar faction.
Malik filled two nomination forms, initially, one as an Independent candidate and the other from Nationalist Congress Party. Later, he submitted his nomination as NCP candidate at 2.55 pm.
His candidature, however, led to a sharp response from ally Bharatiya Janata Party, which has firmly refused to campaign for "people connected to Dawood Ibrahim".
Malik, who is a sitting MLA from Anushakti Nagar, has left that constituency to his daughter Sana, who is making her poll debut as Nationalist Congress Party candidate.
He will be contesting from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency in Mumbai.
"Earlier, I had filed the form as an Independent candidate. But, the party sent the AB form and we submitted it at 2.55 pm," Malik was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"I want to thank Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare... I am very confident that this time we will win Mankhurd — Shivaji Nagar constituency," he added.
Meanwhile, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar made it clear that the the party will not campaign for Nawab Malik. He said that all parties in the Mahayuti alliance have to choose their own candidates.
"However, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other leaders in the BJP have explained the BJP's position regarding the nomination of Nawab Malik from the NCP,"
"Our position is not to promote gangster Dawood Ibrahim and the person related to Dawood's case." he said.
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