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An Indian politician has been shot dead in the commercial capital, Mumbai. <\/p>\n
Gunmen opened fire on Baba Siddique, 66, near the office of his son, who is also a politician, according to local media reports. <\/p>\n
Two people have been arrested in connection with the killing.<\/p>\n
Siddique, a former local minister, was a senior figure in the politics of Maharashtra state, which is expected to hold legislative polls next month. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In February he defected from Congress, India’s main opposition party and joined the unrelated regional National Congress Party (NCP), which is part of the governing coalition of the BJP. <\/p>\n
Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, from the same party as Siddique, said he was shocked by the “cowardly attack”.<\/p>\n
Siddique was known for lavish parties and for close ties to Bollywood superstars. <\/p>\n
The shooting happened with high security in place due to a major Hindu festival in the city.<\/p>\n
Opposition parties have criticised the government, saying there was a major lapse in security. The state government has promised a thorough inquiry.<\/p>\n
Though two suspects have been taken into custody, the motive is not clear. Police are searching for a third suspect.<\/p>\n
Some Indian media report the suspects have said they were from a gang run by notorious criminal Lawrence Bishnoi.<\/p>\n
Bishnoi is currently serving a jail sentence for his involvement in several high-profile murder cases, including the killing of the Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n The shooting came weeks after Siddique’s security detail was upgraded following death threats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n