Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and member of the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, has been shot at in Mumbai’s Bandra and rushed to a hospital, where his condition is said to be critical. 

Sources said three bullets were fired at Mr Siddique around 9.30 pm on Saturday at the office of his son Zeeshan, who is the MLA from Bandra East. Two people have been taken into custody.

Mr Siddique is undergoing treatment at the hospital. Sources in the hospital said at least one of the bullets hit Mr Siddique in the chest and he is being given continuous cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Mr Siddique, who was a three-time MLA from Bandra West, was associated with the Congress for 48 years and had quit the party in February and joined Ajit Pawar’s NCP. Zeeshan Siddique was expelled from the Congress in August.

The firing took place on Dussehra and came months ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, which are expected to be held later this year. 

Expressing his shock, NCP Spokesperson Brijmohan Shrivastav told NDTV that Mr Siddique had not spoken about any threats from anybody. 

Mr Siddique was elected as an MLA from the Bandra West constituency in 1999, 2004 and 2009 and served as a minister of state for food and civil supplies, labour and FDA between 2004 and 2008. 

The former MLA is known not just for his political acumen but also for hosting lavish parties. A cold war between superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan was resolved at an iftaar party hosted by Mr Siddique in 2013.

Playing out a clip of his taking oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister from Shivaji Park in 2019, Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday sent out both a message and a warning to his rivals as he delivered his annual Dussehra speech from the iconic Mumbai park. 

A little over 10 km from the first venue, at Azad Maidan, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde delivered his Dussehra speech, comparing his former boss, Uddhav Thackeray, with the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, suggesting Muslim appeasement politics.

The combative speeches come weeks before Maharashtra polls, which are to be held before November-end.

Recalling his rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership in June 2022, Mr Shinde said he freed the real Shiv Sena from the clutches of those who betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideals.

“Had the uprising not been carried out by us, true Shiv Sainiks would have been humiliated and Maharashtra would have gone back many years,” said Mr Shinde, accused the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government of blocking various development projects, saying that the state’s debt rose by Rs 17,000 crore due to the arrogance and stalling of the projects.

Uddhav Thackeray, during his speech, referred to Mr Shinde-led Sena as “duplicate”. 

“Ratan Tata once told me that JRD Tata trusted him after seeing his work, and then handed over his legacy. He said Balasaheb also chose you (Uddhav) after he found you trustworthy,” Mr Thackeray said, recounting a conversation with the iconic businessman who died this week, underlining his claim on the party. 

Taking aim at his former ally, Mr Thackeray said the BJP should be ashamed of calling itself “Bharatiya.” He also compared it to the Kauravas, accusing it of showing arrogance.