Zeeshan Siddique appointed NCP Mumbai Regional President, vows to raise party flag
Synopsis
Zeeshan Siddique — son of the late Baba Siddique — has been handed the NCP's Mumbai Regional Presidency, a role that is as much a test as it is an honour. With the party holding barely 1–3 Assembly seats in Mumbai at peak, a post-split organisation still finding its feet, and a BMC poll setback fresh in memory, Siddique's appointment is a high-stakes bet on a young face to rebuild in the city where NCP has always struggled most.
Key Takeaways
Zeeshan Siddique was formally appointed NCP Mumbai Regional President on 28 October 2025 .
The appointment letter was handed over by NCP National President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar .
Siddique, son of the late Baba Siddique , had lost the 2024 Assembly election from Bandra East .
NCP has historically held only 1–3 of Mumbai's 36 Assembly seats and a fraction of 227 BMC wards .
The party's Mumbai apparatus was further weakened by the July 2023 split into NCP (Ajit Pawar) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
The appointment is aimed at bolstering NCP's urban outreach and grassroots influence in India's financial capital.
Zeeshan Siddique, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), was formally appointed as the NCP Mumbai Regional President on Wednesday, 28 October 2025, taking on what he described as a defining responsibility to strengthen the party's footprint in India's financial capital. The appointment letter was handed over by NCP National President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.
Siddique's Reaction and Pledge
Speaking after receiving the formal letter, Siddique said, 'It is a very big responsibility that Sunetra Vahini and Parth Dada have given me under their leadership today by appointing me as the Mumbai President of the Nationalist Congress Party. Holding high the flag of the Nationalist Congress Party in Mumbai is now my responsibility.' He added that Sunetra Pawar had always been a 'motherly figure' to him and Parth Pawar akin to an elder brother, pledging to live up to the confidence they had placed in him.
Siddique also invoked the memory of his late father, veteran politician Baba Siddique, who was assassinated in 2024. 'My father would have been very happy for me today. Wherever he is, he must be smiling. Remembering him and Ajit Dada, I will move forward,' he said.
The Political Context Behind the Appointment
The elevation comes at a critical juncture for NCP in Mumbai. Siddique himself lost the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections from the Bandra East constituency, and the party failed to improve its tally in the recently concluded BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Mumbai has historically been resistant NCP territory — compared to its stronghold in western Maharashtra's 'Sugar Belt' covering Pune, Satara, and Kolhapur, the party has at best held 1–3 of Mumbai's 36 Legislative Assembly seats and a slim fraction of the 227 BMC wards.
Pockets with significant migrant populations from Western Maharashtra and Marathwada, as well as areas such as Kurla, Anushakti Nagar, and Shivaji Nagar/Mankhurd, have periodically returned NCP candidates, offering the party its most dependable urban footholds.
Fallout of the 2023 Split
The challenge facing Siddique is compounded by the July 2023 vertical split that divided the party into NCP (Ajit Pawar) — the faction he belongs to — and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). An already thin urban grassroots apparatus in Mumbai fractured further after the split, leaving both factions competing for overlapping support bases. The NCP has historically operated as a coalition player rather than a dominant force in Mumbai's municipal and assembly politics, and rebuilding that base now requires navigating a divided organisation.
What the Party Expects
The NCP leadership expressed confidence that under Siddique's 'energy and dedication,' the party's organisation in Mumbai will become 'significantly stronger, more effective, and deeply people-centric.' His appointment is framed as part of a broader effort to reorganise the party's leadership framework in the city and shore up its urban outreach ahead of future electoral cycles. Whether a young, name-recognised leader can translate social capital into organisational gains will be closely watched in the months ahead.
Point of View
But Mumbai has never been NCP country, and the 2023 split has halved whatever thin urban infrastructure existed. The real question is whether the NCP's Ajit Pawar faction can convert this sentimental appointment into ward-level organisation before the next BMC cycle, or whether it remains the party that holds press conferences in Mumbai but wins votes in Baramati.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Zeeshan Siddique and why was he appointed NCP Mumbai Regional President?
Zeeshan Siddique is an NCP MLC and the son of the late politician Baba Siddique. He was appointed NCP Mumbai Regional President on 28 October 2025 by NCP National President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, as part of the party's effort to reorganise its leadership and strengthen its urban presence in Mumbai.
What challenges does NCP face in Mumbai?
NCP has historically struggled in Mumbai, typically holding only 1–3 of the city's 36 Assembly seats and a small fraction of the 227 BMC wards. The July 2023 split into NCP (Ajit Pawar) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) further weakened the party's already thin urban grassroots base, and the party failed to improve its tally in the recent BMC elections.
What happened to Zeeshan Siddique in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections?
Zeeshan Siddique contested the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections from the Bandra East constituency but lost. Despite the electoral setback, the NCP has now elevated him to head the party's Mumbai regional unit.
How did Zeeshan Siddique react to his appointment as NCP Mumbai President?
Siddique said the appointment was a 'very big responsibility' and pledged to hold high the flag of the NCP in Mumbai. He also paid tribute to his late father Baba Siddique, saying his father 'would have been very happy' and 'must be smiling' at this moment.
How does the July 2023 NCP split affect Zeeshan Siddique's new role?
The 2023 split divided the NCP into the Ajit Pawar-led faction (which Siddique belongs to) and the Sharadchandra Pawar faction, fracturing Mumbai's already limited NCP grassroots network. Siddique will need to consolidate the Ajit Pawar faction's urban apparatus while competing with a rival NCP group for overlapping support bases.
