NEW DELHI:ย The Okhla Assembly constituency is witnessing a high-stakes electoral battle, with Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Amanatullah Khan leading against his rivals as the counting of votes progresses.
Khan, a two-time sitting MLA, is eyeing a third consecutive term in the constituency, where he has maintained a stronghold since 2015.
As per the latest figures released by the Election Commission of India after four rounds of counting, Khan has taken a lead of 21,757 votes over All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s (AIMIM) Shifa Ur Rehman, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Manish Chaudhary has slipped to third place.
Congress’s Ariba Khan is also in the fray but remains significantly behind in the contest.
As of 11:44 Vote Count Standings:
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Amanatullah Khan (AAP):ย 21757 votes (+ 9518)
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Manish Chaudhary (BJP):ย 12,239 votes (-9518)
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Shifa Ur Rehman (AIMIM):ย 8,359 votes ( -13398)
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Ariba Khan (Congress):ย 4,289 votes ( -17468)
The counting of votes began at 8 AM on Saturday and has seen fluctuating trends. Amanatullah Khan initially trailed behind the BJPโs Manish Chaudhary before regaining a substantial lead.ย
The battle for Okhla has been closely watched, given its significant Muslim voter base, which constitutes around 60% of the constituencyโs population. Historically, since 1993, no non-Muslim candidate has won this seat.
Amanatullah Khan first rose to prominence during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Shaheen Bagh and has been a dominant political figure in the area.
He has represented Okhla since 2015, securing a massive victory in the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections when he won by a margin of over 1.3 lakh votes.
However, this yearโs contest has been tighter, with Congress seemingly making inroads into the AAPโs vote share in the Muslim-majority constituency. Additionally, Khan faced legal trouble ahead of the polls, as he was booked for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
Okhla, one of Delhiโs oldest inhabited areas along the Yamuna River, recorded a voter turnout of 54.96% in this election. Several rounds of counting are still underway.
