Expelled from Congress, Siddique has uphill task

In 2019 Zeeshan Siddique defeated Sena candidate to bag the seat for Congress; now he may stand as Independent

- Megha Kuohik

Bandra (East) is one of Mumbai suburban district's 26 Vidhan Sabha constituencies (No 176). With around 2.5 lakh voters, this general category seat represents Bandra (East), Khar (East) and some parts of Santacruz (East). The constituency is demographically diverse, featuring both slums, middle-class and upscale neighbourhoods. Around 33% of the populace is Muslim, while the remaining are Marathi and north Indians. The constituency is also home to former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Union minister Ramdas Athawale.

The seat came into being in 2008, after the delimitation of the Kherwadi constituency. The Shiv Sena (undivided) held this constituency until the 2019 polls when the Congress' Zeeshan Siddique defeated Sena nominee Vishwanath Mahadeshwar by a margin of 5,790 votes. Siddique received 38,337 votes, while the Shiv Sena's candidate, Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, received 32,547. An independent candidate, Trupti Sawant, who rebelled from the Shiv Sena, received 24,071 votes.

Zeeshan, 31, has done a Master's in Global Management and Public Leadership from London. He was the president of the Mumbai Youth Congress until February 2024, when Baba Siddique, his father and ex-minister, left the grand old party and joined Ajit Pawar's NCP. Subsequently, Zeeshan was sacked from the post. In August, he was expelled from the party for alleged cross-voting during the legislative council polls.