Anushakti Nagar is ready for a contest between two ballot debutants. Sitting MLA Nawab Malik’s daughter Sana Malik is representing the Mahayuti alliance from the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, whereas Fahad Ahmad, a brand new entrant in Maharashtra politics, represents the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) from the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP.
That is comparatively a brand new constituency that got here into existence solely in 2008, after delimitation. Through the years, the political scene in Anushakti Nagar has been dominated by Nawab Malik, a former NCP minister who gained the Meeting seat in 2009 and once more in 2019.
Nevertheless, current authorized points and allegations have affected Malik’s standing there, main the NCP to area his daughter, Sana, as their candidate after the BJP opposed Malik’s nomination. Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in March 2022 in a cash laundering case linked to gangster Dawood Ibrahim. Malik spent 18 months in Jail earlier than being granted bail on medical grounds by the Supreme Courtroom in August 2023. The BJP has alleged that Malik has hyperlinks with Dawood.
The NCP-SP has fielded Ahmad, a former Samajwadi Occasion chief who joined the occasion lately, saying he’s well-educated and younger. Ahmad, who got here as a shock entrant in Maharashtra politics, has been energetic in scholar politics, notably the CAA and NRC protests.
Furthermore, Sharad Pawar’s occasion’s resolution to appoint Ahmad, who’s married to actress Swara Bhaskar, goals to attract within the minority vote.
The shifting political panorama in Anushakti Nagar is mirrored by the shut contests in previous Meeting elections between Nawab Malik and Shiv Sena’s Tukaram Kate. Malik narrowly defeated Kate in 2009, solely to lose to him by a slim margin in 2014, earlier than reclaiming victory with one other slender win in 2019. Within the current Lok Sabha elections, voters from this constituency confirmed a choice for Shiv Sena UBT’s Anil Desai, who acquired 55 per cent votes.
With the entire variety of voters now rising to round three lakh, the constituency’s electoral dynamics have turn out to be much more advanced. Each coalitions are therefore pouring assets and energy into securing this seat, viewing it as a mirrored image of the broader political methods at play statewide.
Sana goals to hold her father’s legacy ahead by working in direction of the issues of the folks, primarily well being, schooling and security. She additionally views the candidacy as a twin duty to take Nawab Malik’s legacy ahead within the area amid the potential of votes splitting after the break up within the NCP. “Anushakti Nagar, since its existence, has been Nawab Malik’s bastion the place he has finished intensive work. When I’m on the bottom, folks specific confidence, which makes me imagine there are not any vote splits as one may assume,” she stated.
Regardless of the current allegations and authorized points surrounding her father, Malik stays sturdy. “Through the temporary absence of my father, I took over the groundwork for him. When on the sphere, I by no means met even a single one who had been against him. I absolutely felt down then, however there was no impact on the folks right here which boosted my confidence,” she added.
However, Ahmad, who describs politics as his ardour, has outlined plans to handle “gaps” he believes the earlier MLA left unfilled. He goals to ascertain high quality faculties in partnership fashions to utilize current infrastructure and to arrange talent centres for youth employment. He’s additionally dedicated to constructing a 100-bed hospital to sort out well being points within the area.
“I’ve studied the constituency’s issues fastidiously and understood the demand-supply dynamics to create higher plans for the folks. I’ve progressive initiatives overlaying well being, schooling, employment, and different areas of life,” stated Ahmad, who is also a political researcher.
Ahmad believes his background in scholar politics has made him approachable and linked with the folks. Along with his broader plans for the constituency, he has particular initiatives aimed toward uplifting marginalised communities, positioning himself as a candidate who prioritises progress over vote financial institution politics.
With each candidates making their debut on this Meeting election, it is going to be necessary to see who the voters help. The end result is not going to solely form the political way forward for the constituency but in addition replicate shifts in voter sentiment and occasion loyalty.
Constituency: Anushakti Nagar
Candidates
Sana Malik (Mahayuti)
Fahad Ahmad (MVA)
2.47 lakh complete voters
6.09% SC voters
0.31% ST voters
28.8% Muslim voters
Winner in 2019 Meeting polls:
Nawab Malik (NCP) gained defeating Tukaram Kate (Shiv Ssena) by 12,751 votes
Occasion that led the Meeting constituency in 2024 Lok Sabha polls:
Sena UBT’s Anil Desai acquired 55.41% votes (79,767) within the 2024 LS elections
