Bad news for Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan as his close aide-turned-foe, Mahmood Ahmed, has raised the banner of revolt against him and AAP.
In a press conference at his office in Batla House on Monday, Mahmood announced his resignation from the AAP, a party he had been associated with for years as both a member and active worker.
Amanatullah, Mahmood and AAP
Mahmood cited the party’s decision to give Amanatullah the Okhla ticket for the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections as the reason for his resignation. He expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that despite Amanatullah’s failure to contribute to the local community over the past ten years, the ticket was once again given to him.
Mahmood, once a close aide of Amanatullah, distanced himself after Amanatullah’s name surfaced in the Waqf case and his subsequent arrest. Although Amanatullah is now out on bail and maintains his innocence, their relationship has soured.
During Amanatullah’s time in jail, Mahmood became active in local politics and had hoped to receive an AAP ticket, often highlighting his close ties with senior party leader Sanjay Singh.
Mahmood quits AAP
This is not the first time Mahmood has threatened to quit AAP. During the last Councillor election, he also sought a ticket to contest the MCD election, but lost out to another local AAP leader in the race. His supporters were upset then too, urging him to leave the party, but Mahmood continued his association with AAP until his resignation on Monday. Then too he had called a press meet and things were only cooled after high drama and Mahmood decided to stay put in the party.
Political observers in Okhla suggest that Mahmood had been eyeing the MLA ticket for some time and had openly criticised Amanatullah, signalling his intention to revolt if he did not receive the ticket. In the party’s ticket race, Amanatullah secured the Okhla seat for the third consecutive time, defeating Mahmood’s bid.
Mahmood had previously contested the Zakir Nagar ward election against Shoaib Danish but lost by a narrow margin. Since then, he has harboured ambitions to become Okhla’s MLA.
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During his resignation press meet, Mahmood not only criticised Amanatullah but also took aim at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of anti-Muslim policies. This strong stance seems to close the door on any potential return to AAP in the near future.
From Mahmood’s aggressive stance at the press conference, it appears he is preparing to contest the upcoming Assembly elections from Okhla, challenging Amanatullah.
However, it remains unclear which political party he will join, as Congress already has several leaders lined up. Speculation is that Mahmood may join Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM and seek a ticket from there. If he fails to secure a ticket, Mahmood might contest as an Independent. With the election date approaching, Okhla is already gripped by election fever, with numerous new faces emerging to stake their claim for a ticket from various political parties. Aspiring politicians are spending heavily on posters and banners, each claiming to be the one who will bring development and uplift Okhla if given the chance.
However, despite over 30 years of rule by Congress and the last decade under AAP, the area still lacks basic civic amenities, highlighting the facts that leaders have miserably filed the locality and its residents.
