Major setback to Danish, Wajid and other male Councillor aspirants in Zakir Nagar, Abul Fazal Enclave
The reservation order of the seats in MCD doing the rounds in Okhla online for the last few minutes has dashed dream of many men as both Zakir Nagar and Abul Fazal Enclave seats have been declared reserved for women.
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Councillor Wajid told the OT over phone that both AFE and Zakir Nagar seats have been reserved for women. Councillor Shoaib Danish told the OT over phone that yes his seat has been reserved for women.
Besides, the development has come as a setback to other aspirants, including Congress leaders Pervez Alam Khan, Abdul Wahab Malik, Engineer Hedayatullah Gentle, Bittoo, AAP leaders Md Jabir, Mahmood and a few new entrants to MIM.
Wahab, Gentle and others were already apprehensive about the seat being reserved for women and hence Wahab had pitched his wife days ago.
Gentle’s wife Daniya too showed interest in contesting election in case the seat got reserved. She told the OT over phone before the MCD list for seats were out that she would take a plunge in politics in case the ward is reserved for women.
Wajid told the OT that chance is that his wife will be a candidate. On other hand, Danish said he is yet to decide what to do. “A meeting has been called of supporters and I will discuss threadbare about the development and then take final decision,” he said.
Also the buzz is that many leaders might now eye Sartita Vihar-Johri Farm seat which earlier was reserved for woman but now has become general.
And as male aspirants are looking towards their woman family members, wife, daughter, daugter-in-law, two women leaders from Abul Fazal Enclave ward, including Advocate Aarfa Khanum and Ameeruddin’s wife Ishrat, have an upper hand.
Before the seat was turned general in 2017, Ishrat was the Councillor from AFE ward on SP ticket. Now, when the seat has again been reserved for women, it would be interesting to see who will get the ticket as both Ameeruddin and his wife have joined the Congress. The buzz is that former Congress MLA Asif Md Khan might pitch his daughter on Congress ticket. When contacted, Khan told the OT over phone that it is too early to jump to any conclusion. Neither he denied it. In the coming four or five days, scene will be clear, he said.