Ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra elections 2024, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, on Thursday defended his decision to offer a ticket to Nawab Malik to contest from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, despite the serious allegations against him, reported ANI.

Malik was arrested in 2022 on charges of having links with Dawood Ibrahim's associates, but no court has proven these allegations yet.