Abu Azmi, Shishir Shinde are controversial politicians
Azmi is known to kick-up or be part of controversies often. He was allegedly involved in the March 12, 1993 serial blasts. In the aftermath of the blasts, he was arrested, but, set free a couple of years later by the Supreme Court.
THE SAMAJWADI party member Abu Asim Azmi, may have hit the national headlines on Monday, November 9, after he was assaulted by the MLAs belonging to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The senior MNS leader and MLA Shishir Shinde, who kicked the SP leader, caused the issue to catapult into the limelight. However, neither Shinde nor Azmi, are strangers to such controversies.
Azmi is known to kick-up or be part of controversies at the drop of hat. The first of major scandals he was involved was his alleged involvement in the March 12, 1993 serial blasts. In the aftermath of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, Azmi was arrested, but a couple of years later, he was discharged by the Supreme Court.
He has been heading the SP Maharashtra unit for the last 12 years and was a Rajya Sabha member for one term. He owns hotels, showrooms, has business interests in real estate and it would not be wrong to say that he is one of the richest political leaders of Maharashtra.
So much so that, he declared assets worth Rs 126 crores, when he filed his nomination to contest the state assembly poll from Mankhurd in north-east Mumbai and Bhiwandi in Thane district. He is also the person who has the highest liability with Rs 4.82 crores.
A resident of Colaba in south Mumbai, Azmi is also one of the most vocal critics of MNS chief Raj Thackeray. He has been at loggerheads with Thackeray ever since the latter founded his own party in March 2006. Thanks to his anti-Raj Thackeray image, Azmi has built up a constituency of his own, among the north Indians settled in Mumbai and some other parts of Maharashtra.
His other claim to fame is that his daughter-in-law is the Bollywood actress Ayesha Takia.
So much so that, he declared assets worth Rs 126 crores, when he filed his nomination to contest the state assembly poll from Mankhurd in north-east Mumbai and Bhiwandi in Thane district. He is also the person who has the highest liability with Rs 4.82 crores.
A resident of Colaba in south Mumbai, Azmi is also one of the most vocal critics of MNS chief Raj Thackeray. He has been at loggerheads with Thackeray ever since the latter founded his own party in March 2006. Thanks to his anti-Raj Thackeray image, Azmi has built up a constituency of his own, among the north Indians settled in Mumbai and some other parts of Maharashtra.
His other claim to fame is that his daughter-in-law is the Bollywood actress Ayesha Takia.
Shinde, on the other hand, may not be as wealthy as Azmi, but he has a large following in north-eastern Mumbai. Most Mumbaikars know him basically as an erstwhile Shiv Sainik and a staunch loyalist of Bal Thackeray, who switched sides and joined the MNS when Raj Thackeray severed his links with the party.
Not many old-timers in Mumbai can forget the “exploits” of Shinde as a Shiv Sainik. He made a mark for himself in the party when he led 20 Sainiks to vandalise the Wankhede Stadium pitch on October 22, 1991, in the run-up to a one-day cricket match between India and Pakistan.
Thereafter, he effectively controlled Sena activities in north-east Mumbai. Unfortunately for him, Shinde never jelled well with Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray.
Basically from Mulund, Shinde has been elected to the state assembly from Bhandup in the 2009 poll. He had performed exceedingly well in the April 2009 Lok Sabha polls, when he contested from north-east Mumbai and polled third highest votes (1,95,148), just 18,357 votes short of the winner Sanjay Patil of the Nationalist Congress Party. Incidentally, he had gained in three of the six assembly segments in the Mumbai north-east Lok Sabha constituency. A popular figure in north-east Mumbai, Shinde has organised many public-interest campaigns as a Sena leader and later, a MNS leader.
Despite having been denied the MNS’ leader’s post in the house, Shinde has conducted himself in a most loyal manner to the MNS. Now, with his having been suspended for a period of four years, how his loyalty would be rewarded, remains to be seen.
Thereafter, he effectively controlled Sena activities in north-east Mumbai. Unfortunately for him, Shinde never jelled well with Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray.
Basically from Mulund, Shinde has been elected to the state assembly from Bhandup in the 2009 poll. He had performed exceedingly well in the April 2009 Lok Sabha polls, when he contested from north-east Mumbai and polled third highest votes (1,95,148), just 18,357 votes short of the winner Sanjay Patil of the Nationalist Congress Party. Incidentally, he had gained in three of the six assembly segments in the Mumbai north-east Lok Sabha constituency. A popular figure in north-east Mumbai, Shinde has organised many public-interest campaigns as a Sena leader and later, a MNS leader.
Despite having been denied the MNS’ leader’s post in the house, Shinde has conducted himself in a most loyal manner to the MNS. Now, with his having been suspended for a period of four years, how his loyalty would be rewarded, remains to be seen.
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