August 15th 2023.
Nawab Malik, the controversial minister who has been accused by the Enforcement Directorate of alleged links with the Dawood Ibrahim gang, is being intensely pursued by both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party. He was recently granted a two-month interim bail by the court on health grounds, due to a kidney ailment.
Supriya Sule, M.P and daughter of Sharad Pawar, visited Criticare Hospital, Kurla on Monday to wait for four hours until Malik completed the bail formalities. She then accompanied him to his Kurla residence and held discussions. She stated that no politics was mentioned, claiming that Malik was like a brother to her.
Not to be left behind, Praful Patel and Jayant Patil of the breakaway NCP, called on Malik at his residence. Initially, there were several party workers in the living room, but Patel and Patil were later asked to meet with the minister in private for two hours.
It is likely that Malik will soon meet with Sharad Pawar to seek his advice on his next course of action. If he sides with the pro-BJP faction, then the possibility of him being taken off the ED hook is great. However, he hails from Uttar Pradesh and has a good base of Muslim migrants that have made Mumbai their home. His role will be crucial in mobilizing Muslim votes during the elections, and even though he was arrested, he was not removed from the MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray.
The question now is whether Malik will succumb to the pressure of taking sides. Shiv Sena M.P Sanjay Raut has suggested that the Congress should field Priyanka Gandhi to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. He believes that she will be able to defeat him and that the BJP will be defeated in Rae Bareli and Amethi.
Only time will tell the answer to this question, and the results may have a ripple effect on the MVA government. It is important to remember that Malik was granted a two-month interim bail on medical grounds, and it will be interesting to see how his decision will affect the political climate in Mumbai.
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