Baba Siddique, who left the Congress party on Thursday, confirmed that he will join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). “I will go with the Ajit Pawar group. My journey will be from Congress to Nationalist Congress Party”, Siddique said speaking to media. 

He is the second senior Mumbai Congress leader to leave the party in the last one month after former Union minister Milind Deora joined the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in January. Siddique`s son, Zeeshan Siddique is currently the Congress MLA from Bandra (East) in Mumbai. When asked whether Zeeshan will follow in his footsteps, Siddique said he will take his own call, news wire PTI report said.

A prominent Muslim face of the Mumbai Congress, Siddique served as a minister when the Congress-NCP coalition was in power in Maharashtra. The Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, was recognized as the real NCP by the Election Commission earlier this week, and is part of the ruling coalition in the state. 

The 66-year-old leader did not cite any reason for his decision to leave the Congress, only stated “some things are better left unsaid.” Talking to media, Baba Siddique said that some decisions are painful, but they have to be taken.

Siddique also said that he will hold a rally on February 10 and it will be attended by corporators and Zilla Parishad members from across Maharashtra. 

“I joined the Indian National Congress party as a young teenager and it has been a significant journey lasting 48 years. Today I resign from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party @INCIndia with immediate effect,” he said in a post on X. “There`s a lot I would have liked to express but as they say some things are better left unsaid. I thank everyone who has been a part of this journey,” he added.

During the peak of COVID-19 pandemic, Siddique had earned praise for arranging highly sought-after medicines for needy patients. The politician is also known for his grand Iftar parties which are attended by top Bollywood stars.

(With PTI inputs)

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