“Star campaigner” Saeed Akhtar Khan has rejoined Amanatullah Khan after a brief stint with Shifaur Rehman. The MLA believes Saeed’s return will strengthen the party’s poll prospects in Okhla, where he is seeking a hat-trick victory. The old adage, “In love and politics, everything is fair,” seems apt for Saeed, a resident of Okhla.
During an event in Ghaffar Manzil days ago, Saeed told the media that he had been Amanatullah’s star campaigner for ten years. He made this declaration unprompted, interrupting reporters who were speaking with Shifa ur Rahman’s wife, Noorine Fatima, at an event hosted by AIMIM and its candidate, jailed Jamia alumni president Shifa ur Rahman an accused in Delhi riots case.
ALSO READ
How many seats will AIMIM contest in Delhi, and what are its plans for winning Okhla?
Saeed’s loud announcement grabbed the reporters’ attention. He criticised Amanatullah’s decade-long tenure, claiming a lack of development in Okhla, and declared his support for Shifa after hearing Noorine’s emotional speech. The audience applauded, and it seemed that Shifa’s team, new to politics, had gained a valuable ally.
However, this celebration was short-lived. A day later, Amanatullah Khan shared a video on his social media timeline, stating: “My brother was upset for some reason and left us. I visited his house and convinced him to return. Now, the star pracharak is with us, and his presence will certainly boost the party’s poll prospects in Okhla.”
In the video, Saeed stood beside Amanatullah with folded hands. Another video surfaced showing Saeed reaffirming his commitment to Amanatullah, stating that he would once again support the incumbent MLA.
The development has not gone down well with some of Shifaur Rehman’s fans in the virtual world who have slammed the move and termed Saeed as someone who had made U-turn.
Since the election date was announced, Amanatullah has been meeting residents one-on-one and reaching out to individuals who were previously not aligned with him to bring them into his camp. A party insider revealed that Amanatullah’s strategy has been effective, with many influential figures and former critics joining his fold over the past month.
Amanatullah, like other leaders, has strategically employed one-on-one visits to bolster his image in the locality. The Assembly election in Okhla is expected to be intense, as two other influential candidates hail from Western Uttar Pradesh, a region with a significant voter base in the constituency.
With Congress fielding Ariba Khan, daughter of former Okhla MLA Asif Md Khan, every vote and endorsement is crucial. This has triggered a race among candidates to secure the support of influential individuals capable of delivering at least 10 or more votes to their respective parties. Also, there are fears of vote division among these three leaders: Amanatullah Khan, Areeba Khan and Shifaur Rehman, all from Western Uttar Pradesh.
Besides, the appeal of BJP candidate Manish Chaudhry is also going to play role in the outcome of the results of poll this year. Also, there are several candidates in the fray from small parties and some event standing as Independent.
The last Delhi Legislative Assembly elections took place in February 2020, leading to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) forming the government. Arvind Kejriwal became the Chief Minister for the third consecutive term. However, on September 21, 2024, Kejriwal stepped down after being imprisoned on corruption charges, and Atishi Marlena took over as Chief Minister. The tenure of the 7th Delhi Assembly is scheduled to end on 15 February 2025.
Delhi Legislative Assembly election for all 70 constituencies is to be held on February 5 and results will be declared on February 8.
