Minority Development Minister Nawab Malik, who is in jail in Maharashtra, may be taken back soon. Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has held an important meeting with other party leaders on Thursday to take back the ministry from Nawab Malik.
Sources said the meeting took place at Sharad Pawar’s residence and was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, ministers Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil and senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. Nawab Malik is currently lodged in Arthur Road Jail. Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 23 in the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case.
“Top leaders of the party discussed the option of handing over charge of Malik’s portfolios (one each) to two other NCP cabinet ministers,” the sources said. The NCP has termed Malik’s arrest as politically motivated and has repeatedly said that there is no question of the party asking him to resign from the cabinet. However, the main opposition BJP is pressurizing to oust Malik from the cabinet.
Regarding the meeting of the leaders with Pawar, it is believed that the appointment of two working presidents for the Mumbai unit was also discussed in it. The responsibility of which was currently on the shoulders of Nawab Malik.