Nawab Malik is new Mumbai NCP chief

Mumbai: Senior leader Nawab Malik has been appointed as the new president of the Mumbai unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The post was lying vacant since last week after the resignation of Sachin Ahir, who joined the Shiv Sena. The decision was announced by the state NCP chief Jayant Patil on Monday. “With the approval of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Mr Malik has been appointed the new Mumbai NCP president,” said Mr Patil. Mr Malik, 60, has been a state and national spokesperson of NCP for several years. Along with him, the names of Majeed Memon and Vidya Chavan were also doing rounds for the post. Born in Duswa, Uttar Pradesh, he migrated to Mumbai in 1970 and has been elected legislator four times, thrice from Nehru Nagar in Kurla and once from Anushakti Nagar. He has also served as a minister in the erstwhile Congress-NCP Cabinet, handling a variety of portfolios. But he quit following allegations of intervening into a housing redevelopment project made by social crusader Anna Hazare. According to political observers, Mr Malik faces a tough challenge to revive the dwindling fortunes of the party in Mumbai after the exit of Mr Ahir, who left the party to join the Sena.