Delhi Elections 2024: AIMIM Feilds Delhi Riots Accused Shafur Rehman From Okhla Constituency

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has announced Shafur Rehman as its candidate for the Okhla constituency in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. Rehman, who is currently in jail, is the chairman of the Jamia Alumni Association and was active during the CAA protests at Jamia and Shaheen Bagh.

Rehman will be contesting against Amanatullah Khan from the Aam Aadmi Party, who is the current MLA for Okhla. Notably, Rehman is the second person accused in the 2020 Delhi riots to receive a party ticket from AIMIM. Previously, Tahir Hussain was nominated for Mustafabad by Asaduddin Owaisi's party.

AIMIM's Election Strategy

Shoaib Jamei, AIMIM's Delhi unit president, had earlier mentioned that the party intends to contest 12 seats in the upcoming elections. The process of finalising candidates was underway. Recently, Jamei visited Shahrukh Pathan's family, another individual accused in the riots. Although Pathan's candidacy was considered, no decision had been made at that time.

During the riots, Shahrukh Pathan allegedly aimed a gun at a policeman. This incident gained significant attention after his photo with the weapon circulated widely on social media. He was arrested shortly after and remains in custody.

Election Commission's Schedule

The Election Commission has released the schedule for Delhi Assembly elections covering all 70 seats. Voting will occur in a single phase on February 5, with results being declared on February 8. This announcement set off a flurry of political activity as parties rushed to finalise their candidates.

AIMIM's choice of candidates has sparked discussions due to their involvement in past controversies.