Pune: The NCP’s decision to nominate Zeeshan Siddique as its candidate for the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, just hours before the filing deadline, has sparked disappointment among party members, who claimed that the leadership failed to take them into confidence regarding the move.Among the most vocal is former MLC Amol Mitkari, who had been seeking a second term. Mitkari claimed that despite his seat being the one that became vacant, no senior party leader contacted him to discuss the transition. “I was expecting a call to discuss whether I wanted a second term or not,” Mitkari told reporters. “I waited, but nobody bothered to reach out.”Mitkari, a staunch supporter of late Ajit Pawar, criticised the current leadership for failing to uphold the late leader’s “work culture.” He has recently been critical of the govt’s failure to file an FIR regarding the plane crash that killed Ajit Pawar.“Ajit Dada gave me the opportunity to represent the NCP. Had he been alive, he would have communicated with me directly, even if I wasn’t getting a second chance. He ensured that party morale never dipped,” Mitkari said. He further urged Zeeshan Siddique to use his new platform to demand justice for both the murder of his father, Baba Siddique, and the death of Ajit Pawar..
