Bhiwandi: SP MLA Rais Shaikh quits
MUMBAI: Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA from Bhiwandi East, resigned on Saturday, citing concerns with the party’s state leadership.
In a post on X, the 49-yearold said, “I have consistently brought forward crucial party organisational and expansionrelated concerns to the state leadership of our party over the past year. Despite my persistent efforts, these matters are yet to be resolved.”
Party sources said there was a visible rift over the last few months between Shaikh and Abu Asim Azmi, the SP’S Maharashtra chief. “Rais Shaikh, rather than Azmi, was becoming the face of the Samajwadi Party in Mumbai and Bhiwandi,” said a party insider.
Popular leader
Shaikh started becoming popular in Muslim-dominated Bhiwandi even among non-muslims after consistently raising the city’s concerns in the Maharashtra assembly, especially during the power loom crisis last year.
As SP group leader in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and standing committee member, Shaikh was always being quoted in the media. His work as a municipal councillor had also received publicity, especially after a mural of Mirza Ghalib was unveiled in Nagpada in 2019. It was the first time the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC had honoured any Urdu poet in such a manner, highlighting Shaikh’s connections across party lines.
This was in contrast with the Shiv Sena’s long-standing acrimonious relationship with Azmi, under whose leadership the SP got a reputation as a Muslim party. Azmi’s trademark rhetoric was to appeal to Muslims emotionally, highlighting examples of discrimination against them. While Shaikh, too, raised issues concerning the community — for instance, he challenged the Maharashtra government’s law on monitoring inter-faith marriages in court — he has also taken up matters of discrimination against non-muslims.
When contacted, Azmi said Shaikh resigned because he wanted Riyaz Pappu, in charge of the party in the M ward, removed so that he could have complete control of the party in Bhiwandi.
“Earlier, at his insistence, I moved Riyaz from Bhiwandi to M ward. But Shaikh wanted him removed from there too,” Azmi said, adding that he would try to resolve the differences between the two.