AIMIM's Surprising Impact in Delhi Elections

AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, made notable inroads in the Delhi Assembly elections, with its candidates emerging as second runners-up in Okhla and Mustafabad. Despite facing allegations from the 2020 Delhi riots, candidates Shifa Ur Rehman Khan and Tahir Hussain cut into BJP and AAP's vote shares.

The Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) made a significant mark in the Delhi Assembly elections despite contesting only two seats—Okhla and Mustafabad. Both its candidates finished as second runners-up, highlighting AIMIM's growing influence.

AIMIM candidates Shifa Ur Rehman Khan and Tahir Hussain managed to secure more votes than Congress, affecting the vote shares of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Meanwhile, AAP's Amanatullah Khan won in Okhla by 23,639 votes, and BJP's Mohan Singh Bisht claimed victory in Mustafabad.

The backdrop to this election was the 2020 Delhi riots over the Citizenship Amendment Act, resulting in over 50 deaths. Despite being in legal trouble, Khan and Hussain leveraged their interim bail to campaign vigorously, even holding roadshows with AIMIM's Owaisi. As of the latest count, BJP has secured a majority with 44 out of 70 seats in Delhi's Assembly.