Mumbai: Zeeshan Siddique sacked as city youth Congress chief

Rahul Gandhi with Akhilesh Yadav, who replaces Zeeshan Siddique as chief of the Mumbai Youth Congress

Two-and-a-half years after it had cleared Zeeshan Siddique's election as the city youth Congress chief, the party sacked the state's youngest MLA from the post on Wednesday. The action came because the party is almost certain that the Bandra East legislator will join the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) ahead of the Assembly polls. Zeeshan's former minister father Baba Siddique quit the Congress early this month. His name was in circulation for a Rajya Sabha nomination, which eventually went to a senior leader, Praful Patel.

Zeeshan has been replaced by Akhilesh Yadav. Zeeshan said he was not even informed formally by the party he was still part of. He reacted on social media platform 'X', saying that he had polled the highest votes in the history of the party. "There were 88,517 members who voted for me to become the president of Mumbai Youth Congress, which has been the highest number in the history of the youth Congress. This isn't a nominated post I have got from lobbying or being a yes man to leaders, I have been elected with the highest margin."

Zeeshan with his father Baba Siddique

He added, "After giving 12 years to the organisation, having fought three elections, it is unfortunate that I have not received any official intimation from the party and I have to learn about my ousting from the media and social media. I am answerable to those 88,517 who voted for me and I will be addressing a press conference about this very soon!"

Zeeshan's stint in the youth Congress has been stormy. Suraj Singh Thakur had resigned from the post of working president in protest against Zeeshan's appointment as the president. Zeeshan and Suraj were assigned the jobs through a common letter on August 15, 2021, several months after they had finished as the first and second, respectively, in registering youth as members online.

The process also asked for preferences for the various posts in the Mumbai unit. Suraj had staked his claim to the president's post, saying Zeeshan was already an MLA and hence he should be given the post. Zeeshan refused to vacate his claim, protesting the delay in his appointment, and in a letter to the party high command, alleged interference in his constituency by the then chief of Mumbai Congress.

2021
Year Zeeshan was made youth Congress chief