The streets of Okhla aren’t the only things buried under garbage — the politics here isn’t any cleaner. BY Daud Arif. While residents struggle with civic issues, unemployment, and lack of proper infrastructure, political leaders continue to engage in battles of personal dominance rather than focusing on real development. The people of Okhla deserve better. They need leadership, not theatrics.
ALSO READ
Can Asaduddin Owaisi turn massive crowd into votes for Shifaur and secure win?
The upcoming elections in Okhla have brought the usual faces into the limelight once again. Incumbent MLA Amanatullah Khan of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress leader Asif Md Khan, Congress candidate Ariba Khan, and AIMIM’s Shifaur Rehman are all vying for power.
[Asif Md Khan is the father of Ariba. BJP’s Manish Chaudhry is contesting the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections on a BJP ticket from Okhla. His wife is a three-time Councillor from the Sarita Vihar area, which falls under the Okhla Assembly constituency.]
However, their campaigns seem more focused on discrediting each other than presenting concrete plans for the future of the constituency. The political landscape in Okhla has turned into a stage for blame games, while the real issues remain unaddressed. The entry of the Hyderabad-headquartered political party has intensified the battle in Okhla politics to an unprecedented level.
One of the key talking points of the Congress-backed camp was attacking Amanatullah Khan over his party AAP’s convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s silence inaction during the Delhi riots. It is a fair question to ask — why did the AAP leadership remain silent during one of the most traumatic incidents in recent Delhi history? However, this question leads to a bigger one: Where was the Congress leadership? Rahul Gandhi, despite his national stature, was missing in action when Okhla and several other parts of Delhi needed strong political intervention.
If a few Z+ security-protected Parliamentarians had walked the streets, it could have sent a strong message and potentially helped in improving creaking infrastructure of Okhla.
AIMIM’s Shifaur Rehman, widely regarded as an elder brother figure in Jamia and highly respected for his hardships, was among those who took to the streets during the crisis in Delhi years ago. He stood at the frontlines when it mattered. However, even the party he represents, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, failed to make a decisive impact. While Owaisi is vocal on national platforms, his presence during the crisis was negligible. His absence raises valid questions about AIMIM’s commitment to on-ground activism beyond just electoral politics.
This, however, is not just about any one leader or one party. Okhla deserves accountability from all political fronts. Year after year, elections come and go, but the core issues remain. The roads are riddled with potholes, garbage piles up in the corners of residential areas, and infrastructure improvements move at a snail’s pace. Basic civic amenities, healthcare, and education still do not meet the expectations of a growing, urbanised constituency like Okhla.
Instead of investing their energy in mudslinging, what if our leaders fought for real development? What if their debates were about sustainable solutions rather than rhetorical jabs at each other?
Okhla is a historically significant and politically aware constituency. It deserves leaders who prioritise its progress over their political ambitions. The people must demand accountability and real action. Leadership isn’t about theatrics or optics — it’s about delivering results. And until our leaders recognise that, Okhla will continue to suffer the same fate election after election.
(Daud Arif, a former student of Jamia, currently resides in Canada. The views expressed are his own. He shared a shorter version of this on his social media.)
