Will Umar Khalid contest the Delhi election from Okhla on an AIMIM ticket? This question has ignited a debate in Okhla, particularly among residents dissatisfied with the developmental work of Congress and sitting AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan.
To know whether this is just a rumour or if there is any truth to the possibility that Umar Khalid, the activist recently released on bail, will enter the political race in Okhla, the OT spoke with his father, Welfare Party of India president and journalist QR Illyas.
A Delhi court on December 18 granted seven days interim bail to former JNU student Umar Khalid, accused in the conspiracy case connected to the February 2020 riots, to attend a family event.
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“It is a rumour. Umar has no interest in contesting the election, and there has been no offer from Asaduddin Owaisi’s party. It’s election season, and various local figures are making their moves and it is their people who are spreading rumours. Umar is out on bail to for family event,” he said.
“I’ve told several media channels that there is no discussion about Umar Khalid contesting election,” he added.
The speculation about Umar Khalid’s potential candidacy grew after one user on X (formerly Twitter) posted: “As per some News Channels, Umar Khalid can contest Assembly Elections from Delhi.”
As per some News Channels, Umar Khalid can contest Assembly Elections from Delhi. pic.twitter.com/Y2PR9HNS1T
— Harsh Tiwari (@harsht2024) December 13, 2024
Five days ago, during an interaction with AIMIM leader Aas Mohammad Qureshi, a YouTuber raised the question of whether the party would give a ticket to Umar Khalid, who is currently out on bail. Qureshi did not directly address the query.
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In December, a report emerged claiming that former AAP councillor and accused in the Northeast Delhi riots, Tahir Hussain, had joined AIMIM and would be fielded as the party’s candidate from the Mustafabad constituency in the upcoming assembly elections.
On Tuesday, AIMIM Delhi unit president Shoaib Jamai confirmed in a post on X that Hussain had “officially” joined the party and would represent AIMIM in the February elections. Jamai added that this decision would play a pivotal role in advocating for justice for the victims of the Delhi riots. Hussain “will be the party’s candidate” from the Mustafabad constituency in the assembly elections, due in February, Jamai said. “This decision by us will play a crucial role in the campaign for justice to the Delhi riots victims,” he added.
Owaisi officially announced Hussain’s candidacy on X, stating: “MCD Councillor Tahir Hussain joined @aimim_national & will be our candidate from Mustafabad Assembly Constituency in the upcoming Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections. His family members and supporters met with me today and joined the party.”
BJP vice president Kapil Mishra denounced the decision to field Hussain from the Mustafabad assembly constituency, reported TOI.
“Tahir Hussain, who had plotted the murder of hundreds of Hindus in Delhi, in whose house bombs, stones, and slingshots were kept to kill Hindus, and who killed IB officer Ankit Sharma by stabbing him 400 times and throwing his body in the drain, is now being fielded in the election. An attempt is being made to challenge the Hindus of Delhi by fielding such Jihadis. If any attempt is made to start riots in Delhi again, your seven generations will bear the consequences,” Mishra wrote on X.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) responded by accusing the BJP of using AIMIM to divide the opposition vote, a strategy it claimed had worked in the past.
AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said: “It’s a part of the BJP’s negative strategy. Wherever BJP starts losing, they bring more parties to contest elections. They (BJP) brought BSP and AIMIM in the Lok Sabha elections. When you see the data, it shows that whenever AIMIM fielded its candidates, it has benefited the BJP.”
Meanwhile, Okhla is abuzz with election fervour as AAP has already announced Amanatullah Khan, the sitting MLA, as its candidate for the third consecutive term in the Muslim-majority constituency.
However, many Okhla residents have expressed dissatisfaction with AAP’s choice, with one local leader, Mahmood Ahmed, resigning from the party. Since then, he has launched a series of attacks against Arvind Kejriwal on social media. While he has not yet disclosed which party he will join, there is growing speculation that he may align with AIMIM.
A local resident commented that people are waiting for AIMIM and Congress to announce their candidates. “Only then will we have a clear picture. If both parties field strong contenders, it will be an uphill battle for Amanatullah Khan to retain the seat he won last time by a record margin,” he said.
On the other hand, to win the support of Okhla residents, Amanatullah Khan has launched a cleanliness drive, promising to complete any unfinished work within two months. However, many residents remain unimpressed with his efforts, questioning: “Where has he been for the past 10 years, and how can all this work be completed in just two months?”
Local BJP candidates are also active, criticising AAP and Amanatullah while urging residents to give them a chance. They claim that in the last 30 years, both Congress and AAP MLAs have failed to develop Okhla, which continues to cry out for attention and hence they need to get a chance.
