Maharashtra: Fadnavis Opposes Out-on-bail Nawab Malik Becoming Part of Mahayuti, Writes to Ajit Pawar – News18

The ruling alliance in Maharashtra seems to be under strain after NCP leader Nawab Malik sat on the treasury bench in the House on Thursday. Expressing his opposition, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis wrote to his cabinet colleague Ajit Pawar that it will not be appropriate to make the out-on-bail Malik a part of ‘Mahayuti’. In his letter, he said country and nationalism are more important than power.

Fadnavis posted his letter to Pawar on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and said in Marathi: “Power comes and goes. But country is more important than power…”

Malik is an accused in an Enforcement Directorate case. While he himself has not made it clear whether he is affiliated to the Ajit Pawar-led rebel NCP group or the Sharad Pawar-led faction, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Ambadas Danve and Sushma Andhare targeted the state government over Malik “joining” the treasury benches.

The former minorities minister NCP leader is out on medical bail after the ED arrested him in February 2022 in a money-laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides, Malik attended the winter session of the Maharashtra legislature here for the first time on Thursday. He sat on the last bench in the assembly, next to the MLAs of the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party.The ruling alliance in the state comprises the BJP, Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

In his letter to Ajit Pawar, who too is a deputy CM, Fadnavis said Malik has the right to attend the assembly as an MLA and added that “we (the BJP) do not harbour any personal animosity or grudge” against him. “However, considering the kind of allegations he is facing, we are of the opinion that it would not be appropriate to induct him in the Maha Yuti,” the BJP leader said while also noting that Malik was out only on medical bail (and not regular bail). “We agree that it is your prerogative (to decide) who should be inducted in your party. But every constituent party (of the Maha Yuti) has to think as to whether it would harm the alliance. Hence, we are opposed to this,” Fadnavis added.He also said that his party could not be on the same page as the “then chief minister” and the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government which had allowed Malik to continue as a minister even after he was arrested “on the charges of having links with anti-national elements”.

Malik was a cabinet minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government at the time of his arrest. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushama Andhare earlier took a jibe at Fadnavis, saying he could put a chameleon to shame so fast he had changed his stand on Malik “against whom you all had taken out protest marches and disrupted the house proceedings several times (during the MVA government).

(With PTI inputs)