26 December,2025 11:00 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Multani said that Congress leaders repeatedly asked him to wait for a decision on his candidature. Pic/Special Arrangement
Ahead of the BMC Elections 2026, Senior Jogeshwari-based political activist Changez Multani on Friday joined the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) by formally accepting the party's election symbol, an official statement said.
Multani was earlier seen as a strong contender for a Congress ticket, but he said the party kept delaying its decision. As a result, he decided to accept an offer from Shiv Sena (UBT).
Speaking to mid-day, Multani said that Congress leaders repeatedly asked him to wait for a decision on his candidature.
"Congress kept postponing the decision on my ticket and advised me to wait once again. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Uddhav) offered me an opportunity, which I accepted," he said.
He added that he has joined the party along with a large number of supporters from Jogeshwari.
Multani announced that he will field his son, Zeeshan Multani, as a candidate from Jogeshwari Ward No. 62 in the upcoming municipal elections.
He said that due to changes in ward reservations, Ward No. 62 is now an open ward, making it suitable for his son to contest.
Recounting his political career, Multani said that in the 2007 BMC elections, his sister Syed Barjeena won from Ward No. 53 on a Samajwadi Party ticket, while he finished second from Ward No. 63.
In 2012, after being denied a Congress ticket, Multani contested as an independent candidate and won with 8,900 votes.
During the 2017 BMC elections, he won from Jogeshwari with nearly 10,500 votes, but later faced issues related to his OBC certificate, which affected his political journey.
Multani said his decision to field his son reflects a focus on educated and young leadership in local governance. He expressed confidence that his supporters will back his son in the upcoming election.
