Maharashtra: Baba Siddique's son Zeeshan leads from Vandre East
What's the story
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Zeeshan Siddique is leading in the Vandre East assembly constituency in the Maharashtra elections. The 32-year-old politician is up against Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Varun Satish Sardesai. Siddique recently switched to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction after being expelled from the Congress Party after he cross-voted in Maharashtra legislative council elections. He is the son of the late NCP leader Baba Siddique.
Diverse demographics
Vandre East constituency: A melting pot of diverse voters
The Vandre East constituency, or Bandra East, is also known for its mixed voter base. The constituency includes Marathi-speakers, Dalits, Muslims, slum dwellers, and migrants. In the 2019 election, Siddique won this seat with 38,337 votes against Shiv Sena's Vishwanath Mahadeshwar out of 251,371 registered voters.
Political transition
Siddique's political journey and personal tragedy
Siddique's political career started with a win in the 2019 Maharashtra assembly election as a Congress candidate. He contested and won his father's constituency, Vandre East, in that election. He defeated Shiv Sena leader Vishwanath Mahadeshwar. He is a management graduate. He received his master's degree in Global Management and Public Leadership from Regent's University in London, United Kingdom.