Four trends, one big impact: How Owaisi's AIMIM played its part in Delhi election

Asaduddin Owaisi

The mudslinging and lack of resolve to fight under the collective 'INDIA' banner not only resulted in a body blow for the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) played an equal role in helping BJP securing a seat and finishing in second spot in areas with considerable Muslim population.

The AIMIM did not win any seat, but both its candidates ended up in third spot.In Mustafabad contistuency, the division of votes paved the way for BJP's win in a constituency with a significant minority population. AIMIM fielded two candidates in the Delhi election -- Shifa Ur Rehman Khan from Okhla and Tahir Hussain from Mustafabad. Both its candidates have been named as accused in cases linked to the 2020 Delhi riots and are currently in jail. Both the AIMIM candidates managed to push the Congress to the fourth spot and finished third.

There are 11 assembly seats in Delhi where Muslim voters play a decisive role. In all these constituencies, voter turnout exceeded 55 per cent, with most seats witnessing over 60 per cent polling. The division of votes between the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress benefited the BJP. Asaduddin Owaisi's party also worked to cut the votes of AAP.

In Okhla, AAP leader and sitting MLA Amanatullah Khan won by 23,639 votes. The BJP's Manish Chaudhary finished second and Shifa Ur Rehman Khan, currently in Tihar Jail, got 39,558 votes. The Congress's Ariba Khan got 12,739 votes. Despite the division in minority votes, three-time MLA Khan managed to hold on to his seat. But his winning margin dropped by more than 50,000 votes.

The Mustafabad seat saw a more exciting contest. In a constituency with a nearly 40 per cent Muslim population, BJP's Mohan Singh Bisht won by a margin of 17,578 votes. The AAP's Adeel Ahmed Khan got 67,637 votes, AIMIM's Tahir Hussain cornered 33,474 votes and the Congress's Ali Mehdi received 11,763 votes. The division of Opposition votes helped the BJP secure a comfortable win.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) retained its dominance in constituencies with a significant Muslim voter base but witnessed a substantial decline in its vote share compared to the 2020 results. Data indicates that this drop was not due to gains by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Instead, a sizeable chunk of Muslim voters may have shifted their support to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and, to a lesser extent, to the Congress.