Baba Siddique joins Ajit Pawar's NCP, says ‘chidiya chug gayi khet’

Baba Siddique said Congress used him like curry leaves for the flavours as they wanted Muslim votes.

Former Maharashtra minister and a famous name in the Bollywood circle Baba Siddique joined Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday, days after quitting the Congress. On February 8, Baba Siddique announced his decision to sever his 48-year-old tie with the Congress. It was no secret that Baba Siddique was going to join Ajit Pawar-led NCP but there was no announcement before the official event on February 10. The move, significant for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, took place after the Election Commission recognised Ajit Pawar's NCP as the real NCP. Ajit Pawar last year joined the Sena (Eknath Shinde) - BJP (Devendra Fadnavis) government breaking away from Sharad Pawar's NCP.

Former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique quit the Congress on February 8.

After joining Ajit Pawar-NCP, Baba Siddique said he has a lot to say against Congress because he was used like curry leaves only for flavours. He said he was both happy and sad. “Sad because I am not thick-skinned. 48 years is a long time. But happy because the everyday bickering now ended,” Baba Siddique said. "Chidiya chug gayi khet (what is te use of crying over spilled milk?)" the former Congress leader said.

“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 but as they say some things are better left unsaid. I thank everyone who has been a part of this journey,” Baba Siddique posted on X.

Baba Siddique's exit from the Congress was the second major blow to the party ahead of the election as former Union minister Milind Deora too deserted the Congress to join Eknath Shinde's Sena faction over seat sharing woes between Congress and the Uddhav Sena.

The Congress – as part of the INDIA bloc – will be contesting the Lok Sabha election in Maharashtra along with Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP).

Baba Siddique was an MLA for three consecutive terms in 1999, 2004 and 2009, and had also served as a minister of state for food and civil supplies, labour and FDA, (2004-08) and had also served as a municipal corporator earlier for two consecutive terms (1992-1997). He has also served as the chairperson and senior vice president of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee and the parliamentary board of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.