Amanatullah Khan is not in the poll race; my contest is with Shifaur Rehman or Ariba Khan, said BJP’s Okhla candidate, Manish Chaudhry. In a fresh statement targeting incumbent AAP Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, Manish claimed that his real fight is with the AIMIM’s candidate or Congress’s Ariba Khan, who is an educated contender and could be a strong competitor.
After filing his nomination, Manish expressed gratitude to the BJP leadership. “I want to thank the Bharatiya Janata Party for trusting me and selecting me as their candidate from Okhla Assembly,” he said.
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Manish announced that his campaign would focus on development. “I am here to address the issues that have been neglected in Okhla, causing the public to suffer for years. Amanatullah Khan’s AAP has been absent for the last 10 years,” he stated.
He accused the incumbent MLA of failing to bring development to Okhla. “Whether you start from Shaheen Bagh, Ali Village, Taimur Nagar, or end at Batla House, no significant work has been done by the AAP government. There is no proper sewer system; existing sewers overflow, clean water is unavailable, and potable water is missing. There’s no Ganga water supply, and the situation is dire. I don’t see any competition from the AAP MLA,” he added.
Manish highlighted the growing discontent among residents. “For months, I’ve traveled across the constituency and found people unhappy with the current MLA. They don’t want to vote for the AAP candidate. In many areas, people openly question Amanatullah Khan’s work record. During one of my visits to Batla House, an elderly gentleman told me he planned to press the NOTA button. I assured him, ‘Uncle, I will work for you,’ and he later promised to vote for me after hearing about my commitment.”
Manish emphasised that both Hindu and Muslim residents prioritise development. “People want better roads, clean water, quality hospitals, pensions, timely delivery of ration cards and Aadhaar cards, and good education for their children,” he said.
Manish said he will address the issues of the building and meter mafia, ensuring that meters are installed in buildings without any structures being demolished. He emphasised that demolitions have become a common occurrence in the area, causing significant distress to residents. Many have expressed difficulties in getting meters installed in their new buildings, and he pledged to resolve these challenges.
A former student leader at Delhi University, Manish Chaudhry has entered the political battle in Okhla, an area historically dominated by Congress and, for the past decade, by AAP. He is challenging incumbent MLA Amanatullah Khan, who is seeking a third consecutive term on an AAP ticket. Amanatullah has won two consecutive elections since 2015, defeating Congress’s Asif Md Khan and BJP’s Braham Singh in 2020 with a significant margin.
Manish’s wife, Nitu Chaudhry, is a three-time municipal Councillor from Sarita Vihar. Both were formerly with Congress but later joined the BJP. Manish father is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia and a known face in the locality.
