AIMIM candidates in Okhla, Mustafabad secure third place, cut into AAP’s vote share

The Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, despite contesting only two seats in the Delhi Assembly elections—Okhla and Mustafabad—managed to make an impact, with both its candidates finishing as second runners-up.

Shifa Ur Rehman Khan and Tahir Hussain, both accused in the 2020 Delhi riots and currently in jail, managed to cut into the vote share of  AAP, outperforming Congress, which was pushed to fourth place.

According to the Election Commission, AAP candidate Amanatullah Khan secured victory in Okhla with a margin of 23,639 votes, while BJP’s Manish Chaudhary finished second with 65,304 votes. Shifa Ur Rehman Khan, who is in Tihar Jail, secured 39,558 votes.

In Mustafabad, AIMIM candidate Tahir Hussain garnered 33,474 votes and ended up as the second runner-up in the contest. BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht won the seat, defeating AAP’s Adeel Ahmad Khan by a margin of 17,578 votes.

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Congress lagged behind in both constituencies, with its candidate Ali Mehdi securing 11,763 votes in Mustafabad, while Ariba Khan received 12,739 votes in Okhla.

The 2020 Delhi riots, which erupted in February following clashes between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), resulted in over 50 deaths and numerous injuries.

Shifa Ur Rehman Khan and Tahir Hussain were granted interim bail for campaigning, during which they participated in multiple roadshows in Okhla alongside AIMIM leaders, including Asaduddin Owaisi.

Delhi went to the polls on Wednesday, February 5, with counting still in progress. As per Election Commission data, the BJP has secured a majority in the Delhi Assembly elections, winning 44 out of 70 seats.

(With inputs from PTI)