Will Cong’s Shoaib bastion fall this time?
With MCD election 2022 campaign picking up, political watchers in Okhla are asking: Will Congress bastion fall this time? Who will breach it: AAP, AIMIM or BJP?
Even when there was AAP wave in Delhi and Muslims had voted overwhelmingly for AAP candidates, Shoaib Danish had succeeded in holding his forte and won the election with a small margin with AAP’s Mahmood losing with a whisker. And now when the seat has been reserved for women, Danish wife is in the fray. A journalist said Danish is a popular leader and defeating him won’t be a cakewalk for the opposition but 15 years is a long time as anti-incumbency catches up with leaders and parties.
But the big question today in Batla House-Zakir Nagar ward is: Who will defeat him? AAP, BJP and AIMIM have fielded candidates against him.
An Okhla watcher said one candidate who can give him a fight is Ariz Khan’s wife Salma Ariz Khan. As she is from Western Uttar Pradesh and she is getting support from people of Satla, Afghanpur and other areas, her chance has brightened in the MCD poll 2022, said one observer.
However, a trader and Okhla watcher said though Danish is up against anti-incumbency the wave this time around in Muslim-dominated areas is in favour of Congress and keeping this in mind, the former Councillor will get benefit of it.
AIMIM is banking on Asaduddin Owaisi to gain seat which according to a resident is not easy as the party’s candidate is wife of a leader who earlier was with the AAP and joined the party after he failed to get ticket.
