Amanatullah Khan, Ariba Khan, and Shifaur Rehman quietly filed their nominations on Thursday, setting the stage for a fierce electoral battle in Okhla. The three candidates represent the AAP, Congress, and AIMIM respectively and share a strong connection to Uttar Pradesh, a factor likely to influence voters from the region.
Due to a technical glitch, Shifaur Rehman’s papers had to be resubmitted on Friday morning, according to his close aide, Jamia Millia Islamia alumnus Badre Alam. “We are working to resolve the issue and submit the papers again,” Alam said.
Okhla’s incumbent MLA Amanatullah Khan, seeking a third term, filed his nomination in a low-key event with a handful of supporters. He later announced on social media that his papers were successfully submitted. Shifaur Rehman is a new entrant in Okhla’s electoral landscape fielded by Asaduddin Owais’s AIMIM, long dominated by the Congress and the AAP over the past decade.
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Rehman, a former president of Jamia’s alumni association (AAJMI), is currently in jail for his alleged involvement in the Delhi riots case. He was granted custody parole to file his nomination, with photos and videos surfacing online of his arrival for the submission. In his absence, his wife, Noorin Fatima, has taken a prominent role in the campaign. Known for her oratory skills, she has impressed audiences during her address in Gaffar Manzil and interviews with YouTubers and reporters, according to local political observers.
Ariba Khan, on the other hand, comes from a political family. Her father, Asif Md Khan, is a former Okhla MLA, and her uncle, Arif Md Khan, is a BJP leader and the current Governor of Bihar. Ariba Khan, who explored various fields, including earning a B.Ed. from Jamia Millia Islamia, English Honours from Amity and completing a culinary course, took the political plunge in 2022.
She contested the MCD elections and narrowly defeated AAP’s Wajid Khan. Her victory marked a turning point for the Congress in Okhla, which had lost its dominance after her father’s defeat to Amanatullah Khan in 2015.
Ariba’s win was partly attributed to discontent among Muslim voters with AAP’s stance on the Tablighi Jamaat during the COVID-19 pandemic, the anti-CAA-NRC protests, and the Delhi riots. This shift helped Congress candidates like Ariba and Nazia Danish, wife of former Councillor Shoaib Danish, secure victories. Also there were local issues also which played in favour of Ariba.
While Ariba claims her campaign focuses on development. Reports suggest she was in competition for the Congress ticket with Ishrat Jahan, the daughter-in-law of senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Parvez Hashmi. Hashmi, a former MLA, faced a significant defeat to Amanatullah Khan in 2020.
Amanatullah Khan, a veteran of Okhla politics for over three decades, has been a controversial figure. A school dropout, he completed his 12th grade from Jamia Millia Islamia Senior Secondary School in 1992-93. Over the years, he has faced multiple allegations, including being declared a “bad character” by Delhi Police and being arrested during protests against an MCD demolition drive. Currently out on bail in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities during his tenure as chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, Khan maintains his innocence, claiming he is being framed.
If Shifaur Rehman is riding a wave of sympathy with strong backing from the Jamia fraternity, Ariba Khan and Amanatullah Khan are locked in a fierce battle for votes in Muslim-dominated wards. Amanatullah also enjoys considerable influence among voters from Bihar and has focused on appealing to them during his door-to-door campaign.
Facing anti-incumbency, political observers noted that this election won’t be a cakewalk for Amanatullah as it was in 2015 and 2020. Another significant factor influencing the contest is the strong sentiment among residents that the seat must remain with a candidate from Jamia Nagar and should not go to the BJP. Many Muslims fear that a BJP victory would result in the locality being neglected entirely.
Addressing these concerns, BJP’s Manish Choudhary, who has also filed his nomination, told the media that he is campaigning on a development agenda. He promised to address critical issues in Okhla, including curbing the influence of the meter and building mafias and putting an end to the demolition of buildings. Before joining the BJP, he was with the Congress and was a familiar face in Muslim-dominated areas. Additionally, his father is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia. These factors combine to create a complex and dynamic contest in the 2025 Assembly election from Okhla.
