Watch: Asif had the last laugh
Before being arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a cop at Tayyab Masjid over an issue arising due to action of AAP sitting Councillor Wajid Khan, former Okhla Congress MLA Asif Md Khan in an interaction with the OT had hinted at the downfall of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan.
Though Khan was a bit upset with Amanatullah shaking hands with Wajid after years of sour relationship between them, Asif was confident that his 29-year-old daughter Ariba Khan would sail through in the MCD election 2022 from Abul Fazal Enclave ward. After Asif succeeded in getting ticket for his daughter many other local leaders were upset and some among them were not seen campaigning for Ariba during the election time.
And he appeared to be right as the result showed Ariba coming out of flying colours. In the absence of her father she won the election from AFE ward defeating AAP’s Wajid. Ariba got 1,6554 votes with Wajid bagging 1,5075 votes.
After the win, activist Sharib Hussain, a close friend of AAP’s ticket contender Engineer Jabir, released a video in which he welcomed the change sweeping AFE. He said on one hand there was Ariba who contested election keeping a low-profile but still she succeeded in defeating a bigwig candidate who spent a lot of money. Sharib in the video didn’t name any political leader.
After the arrest of Asif, Ariba’s campaign was low-profile and she started concentrating on door-to-door campaign, said local observers, adding that when on the last day other political parties showed their strength by taking out bike rally, Ariba didn’t do such rally. The low-profile campaign created some confusion among residents whether Ariba will win or not. However, Ariba’s poll campaigner Md Ayub had told the OT then that the party is focusing on 1 to 1 and hence didn’t take out the rally.
Another observer said there was undercurrent in support of the Congress and like last time there was no AAP wave in the Muslim localities with majority of people unhappy with the AAP’s silence over Bilkas Bano, Delhi riots and targeting of Tablighis during the Covid spread. It was the undercurrent and the arrest of Asif which helped Ariba to sail through and fulfil his father’s dream. When he was jailed many of his critics wrote him off saying it was end of her daughter career and she won’t win with residents upset. However, the oppositive happened, said one observer.
The win will certainly help Asif too revive his political career after the defeat at the hands of Amanatullah Khan, said observers.
