Anti-CAA activist Ashu Khan has extended his support to incumbent Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan. Ashu, who had initially planned to contest the MLA election, appears to have dropped the idea. On Thursday, he was seen sharing the stage with Amanatullah Khan at a public rally, where he was warmly welcomed by the MLA.
“My younger brother Ashu Khan has also extended his support to me in Okhla Assembly. The people of Okhla are ready to vote. We will fight, and we will win,” Amanatullah Khan wrote on his social media timeline.
Ashu Khan was arrested in the past in two separate cases of violence in Jamia Nagar and New Friends Colony during the anti-CAA protests on December 15. He was later granted bail. According to local political observers, Ashu Khan has contested several elections but has remained unsuccessful.
A high-stakes election in Okhla
Okhla is witnessing an intense election campaign, with Amanatullah Khan seeking a third consecutive term while facing anti-incumbency.
Other candidates in the fray include AIMIM’s Shifaur Rehman, who has been accused in the Delhi riots case, Congress’s Ariba Khan, and BJP’s Manish Chaudhry.
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Ariba Khan is currently the Councillor of the Shaheen Bagh ward. She won the MCD election two years ago by defeating AAP’s then-sitting Councillor Wajid Khan. She is the daughter of former Congress Okhla MLA Asif Md Khan, and her uncle, Arif Md Khan, is a BJP leader and the Governor of Bihar.
Manish Chaudhry, a Delhi University graduate, has been active in local politics for years. His wife, Nitu Chaudhry, has served as the Councillor of Sarita Vihar three times. His father also has ties to Jamia Millia Islamia as an alumnus of the university.
AIMIM’s entry sparks concerns of vote division: Opposition
AIMIM’s entry into the race has intensified the contest, with Amanatullah Khan fearing that a division of Muslim votes could jeopardise his chances of securing a third term.
He has launched sharp attacks on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for fielding candidate in the Muslim-majority Okhla constituency.
AIMIM is contesting two seats in Delhi: Mustafabad and Okhla, both of which have significant Muslim populations. The party has fielded candidates accused in the Delhi riots case. Both Amanatullah Khan and Asif Md Khan have criticized Asaduddin Owaisi, expressing concerns that splitting the Muslim vote could benefit the BJP in a constituency where Muslims make up 55 per cent of the electorate. They have accused AIMIM of being the “B-team of the BJP”.
AIMIM has strongly refuted the allegation. “In reality, it is Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP that acts as the B-team of the BJP, not AIMIM,” said Shoaib Jamaee, AIMIM’s Delhi president. Also he took a jibe at Asif Md Khan claiming that he was trying for AIMIM ticket.
Meanwhile, several AIMIM supporters have urged Amanatullah Khan to stop using the fear of BJP’s victory as a campaign strategy.
They argue that had Amanatullah truly developed the locality during his 10-year tenure, he wouldn’t need to “beg for votes by instilling fear among Muslim voters”.
In a public meeting Ariba Khan has also attacked Amanatullah for failing to develop Okhla in the last 10 years.
