Naseem Khan quits as Congress star campaigner as Varsha Gaikwad gets Mumbai North Central ticket
Sources close to Khan said he is not planning to quit the party.
2 min read
Congress’s Mumbai North Central candidate Varsha Gaikwad shares a light moment with her family at her home on Friday. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)A day after Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad’s name was announced as party candidate from Mumbai North Central, former minister and senior party leader Naseem Khan on Friday resigned as the party’s star campaigner, protesting against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) not fielding a single candidate from the minority community.
“It was decided two months ago that I will be given the party candidature. It had enthused the minority community in Mumbai. However, the party has announced a different name from this seat, which has created unrest within the minority community,” Khan said.
“I have been obediently following the party orders in different states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka and others. I fulfilled the orders honestly. But I will now be speechless if the minority community asks me as to why not a single minority member has been given the candidature. Therefore, I have decided to quit as a star campaigner of the party in the third, fourth and fifth phase,” he added.
Sources close to Khan said he is not planning to quit the party. When asked if he has been offered an MLC post from Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, sources rejected any such development.
Additionally, the Congress is also facing a silent rebellion from the north Indian Hindu leaders’ lobby for not including any of its leaders in the star campaigner list. “Mumbai has a sizeable north Indian population which will surely impact the outcome of the election. Despite this, the party has not added any of the Hindu north Indian leaders in its star campaigner list. This needs to be addressed,” a Mumbai Congress leader said.
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