Mumbai: In a neck-to-neck fight in the Anushakti Nagar constituency, actor and activist Swara Bhaskar’s husband Fahad Ahmad lost against NCP’s Sana Malik, the candidate from the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and daughter of former minister Nawab Malik. Malik, who received 49,341 votes, won by a margin of 3,378 votes. On the other hand, Ahmad secured 45,963 votes.
Ahmad alleges EVM tampering during the counting of votes. He alleges that after round 16, a 99% charged EVM machine was opened, and the BJP-supported NCP candidate took the lead. He demanded a recount, but the Election Commission declared the result.
Nawab Malik had previously won from Anushakti Nagar in 2009 and 2019. This time, his daughter, Sana Malik, entered the electoral arena and claimed her maiden victory. In the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections, Nawab Malik of the Nationalist Congress Party won the seat with 65,217 votes, defeating his rival from the undivided Shiv Sena, Tukaram Kate, who received 52,466 votes.
This time, Nawab Malik contested from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar and lost, leaving the Anushakti Nagar constituency to his daughter, Sana, who planned to make her debut in electoral politics.
Fahad Ahmad, who joined the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction (NCP-SP) in October 2024 after parting ways with the Samajwadi Party, has accused the BJP of manipulating the election results and demanded a recount. During the counting, Fahad Ahmad posted on X, making the following allegations: “After the 16th round and a continuous lead in all the rounds, 99% charged EVM machines were opened, and the BJP-supported NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate took the lead. Election Commission, this is rank manipulation. We demand recounting of the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th rounds,” and tagged the Election Commission of India.
On the other hand, Ahmad’s wife, actor and activist Swara Bhaskar also posted on X regarding her husband’s defeat: “How can the EVM machines be 99% charged despite voting happening all day? The Election Commission should answer. As soon as the 99% charged machines were opened in Anushakti Nagar Assembly, how did the BJP-supported NCP candidate start getting votes?” and tagged the Election Commission.
The MNS candidate, Acharya Naveen Vidyadhar, finished in third place with 28,362 votes. The vote counting for Anushakti Nagar Assembly was completed in 19 rounds.
