17 December,2025 12:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Zeeshan Siddique. File Pic
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Zeeshan Siddique on Tuesday said the party is fully prepared for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections 2026 and will soon finalise its strategy.
Speaking to reporters, Siddique said the NCP leadership is scheduled to meet party chief Ajit Pawar on Wednesday, December 17, following which further details regarding the party's election strategy will be decided.
Commenting on a viral video purportedly showing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attempting to remove a woman's hijab, Siddique stressed the importance of respecting women's autonomy and personal choices.
"Every woman has the right to decide what she wants to wear. Creating controversy over someone's clothing is inappropriate. Only he knows what his intentions were, but every woman has her own self-respect, and that must be respected," he said.
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) stepped up preparations for polls to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and on Tuesday held a review meeting of its election management committee under the leadership of former minister Nawab Malik.
The party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar held discussion on contesting around 50 seats in the 227-member BMC.
Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations will go to polls on January 15 and results will be declared the next day.
A day after the poll schedule announcement, the NCP's Mumbai unit called a meeting of its leaders and office-bearers to chalk out a strategy for contesting the crucial elections.
After taking charge as chairman of the election management committee, Malik has focused on BMC polls and has been holding regular review meetings to strengthen the organisation in Mumbai, an NCP release said.
The NCP's ally BJP, has opposed Malik's appointment and distanced itself from the Ajit Pawar-led party for the Mumbai civic polls.
The NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena are constituents of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.
At Tuesday's meeting, a district-wise review of preparations was conducted. Discussion was held on the NCP contesting around 50 seats in the BMC elections. A detailed report on the discussion will be submitted on Wednesday to NCP president Ajit Pawar, the release said.
The meeting was attended by Mumbai NCP working presidents Siddharth Kamble and Shivajirao Nalawade, party MLA Sana Malik-Shaikh, and former MLA Zeeshan Siddique, among others.
