How Samajwadi Party youth leader a.k.a Swara Bhasker’s husband got a surprise ticket

With Malik declaring his intention to contest from Azmi’s turf, the latter got fellow INDIA ally NCP (SP) to speed-induct Ahmad and field him. On Sunday, Ahmad was named as the NCP (SP) candidate from Anushakti Nagar, where Nawab Malik’s daughter Sana is making her political debut.

A former alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), 32-year-old Fahad, who is originally from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, has so far dabbled only in student politics.

Sana’s entry into the race followed the BJP’s insistence that the NCP should not field Nawab Malik. The BJP has frequently targeted Malik, accusing him of links with Dawood Ibrahim. He was also arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in February 2022 in a money laundering case, and spent 18 months behind bars, before his release following the Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s alignment with the BJP.

Malik was believed to have conceded the BJP’s demand by backing out and letting the NCP ticket for Anuskahti Nagar go to daughter Sana instead.

But then, last week, Malik announced that he would contest from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar – a constituency won by Azmi in 2019, and two other times previously – regardless of whether the NCP backs him or not. This is set to significantly impact Azmi’s electoral prospects, with the Muslim vote getting divided among the heavyweights.

Similarly, in Anushakti Nagar, Fahad, counting on the NCP (SP)’s base, could hurt Sana, potentially siphoning off her votes.

Given that the BJP is an ally of the Ajit Pawar NCP, many do not rule the BJP’s hand in the surprise decision of Malik to enter the field against Azmi.

A Mankhurd resident, Idrees Sayyad, said the Muslim community is not happy about the developments. “Nawab Malik is under significant pressure due to his pending legal issues. Many see his entry into Mankhurd as a strategy by higher powers to fragment Muslim votes and undermine Azmi who, despite his flaws, remains a respected figure in the community.”

The Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency where Malik and Azmi will face off has a 53% Muslim electorate. In Anushakti Nagar, they are 23%, and Ahmad probably is in a better position to woo them given his association with the NCP (SP) and Congress.

Many prominent members of the Muslim community have urged Malik and Ahmad to bury the hatchet, to stop a division of votes.

The rivalry between Malik and Azmi began long after both started their political careers with the SP. In 1996, Malik won his first election from Mumbai’s Nehru Nagar as an SP leader, under Azmi’s leadership in the state. The initial camaraderie gave way to ego clashes after Azmi failed to make his own political debut even as Malik went on to become a Minister of State, and soon saw himself as an equal to Azmi.

In October 2001, Azmi expelled Malik from the SP, and Malik aligned himself with the united NCP led by Sharad Pawar.

An SP leader requesting anonymity said: “We have an understanding with the NCP to field Fahad Ahmad on their ticket. Our intent is clear: if Nawab Malik aims to disrupt our leader’s (Azmi’s) election, we will respond in kind.”

Malik said the reason for his decision to contest from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar was “the people’s wish”. “There is rampant lawlessness here, and generations are suffering due to the drug epidemic,” Malik said.

What shot Fahad Ahmad to prominence was a student protest he led at TISS in Mumbai in 2018 against the rollback of a fee waiver for students from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs. He successfully mobilized over a thousand students, making it one of the largest and longest student protests in a city where such movements are often rare.

He participated in other protests such as for students whose scholarship applications had been denied. He declined to accept his M.Phil degree from the institute’s chairperson, resulting in suspension of his PhD registration. He was also an active participant in the Anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests across India. He joined the SP in July 2022, and became its youth wing president in Maharashtra.

Filing his nomination, Ahmad said: “The struggle against the Mahayuti transcends personalities, parties, and symbols. Our struggles may differ, but we are united in our ideology. Mulayam Singh (SP founder) and Sharad Pawar (united NCP supremo) are both socialists. We are one family, sharing the same vision. In my previous party, I fought against divisive forces, and in this new party, I will continue that fight against those seeking to divide our nation.”