Ex-Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique joins Ajit Pawar-led NCP days after quitting Congress
Mumbai, Feb 10: Former Maharashtra minister and Congress' Muslim face in Mumbai, Baba Siddique, on Saturday joined the Nationalist Congress Party, a major boost to the Ajit Pawar-led party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
He was welcomed into the party fold by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and top NCP leaders, including the party working president Praful Patel and state unit president Sunil Tatkare.
Siddique had quit the Congress earlier this week.
Speaking on the occasion, Siddique acknowledged the role of late Congress MP Sunil Dutt in his political career.
Siddique said he had consulted his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique and former Congress MP Priya Dutt before crossing over to the NCP.
A prominent Muslim face of the Mumbai Congress, Siddique had also served as a minister when the Congress-NCP coalition was in power in Maharashtra.
Speaking at the event, Pawar said, "We have not abandoned the Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar ideology and we are (of) secular (mindset)".
The NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, is a constituent of the Shiv Sena-led Mahayuti government, also comprising the BJP.
Although the NCP has joined the NDA, it has not deserted any of the ideals espoused by the party, Patel said.
The Siddique senior on Thursday declared his decision to end his 48-year-old association with the Grand Old Party.
"I joined the Indian National Congress party as a young teenager and it has been a significant journey lasting 48 years. Today I resign from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party @INCIndia with immediate effect," he stated.
During the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, he earned much praise for arranging highly sought-after medicines for needy patients.
The senior politician is also known for organising grand 'Iftar' parties which are attended by top Bollywood stars.
His son Zeeshan Siddique is currently a Congress MLA from Bandra (East). He is still with Congress.
However, before the senior Siddique joined the NCP, Pawar and other leaders of the party met at Zeeshan's office.
I joined the Indian National Congress party as a young teenager and it has been a significant journey lasting 48 years. Today I resign from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party @INCIndia with immediate effect. There’s a lot I would have liked to express…
— Baba Siddique (@BabaSiddique) February 8, 2024
#WATCH | #BabaSiddique joins #NCP in the presence of party chief and Maharashtra Deputy CM #AjitPawar, in Mumbai. The former Maharashtra minister had resigned from #Congress on February 8
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) February 10, 2024
📹: ANI | https://t.co/5WgcCQG1am pic.twitter.com/Qcc4CcfKG1
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Vartha Bharati–Sankalp predictions align closely with Karnataka bypoll results
Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
