– Rayyan Ali Khan
New Delhi: In an important political development in North East Delhi’s Seelampur constituency, the political landscape has undergone notable shifts with the MLA Abdul Rehman’s resignation as the party’s minority wing chief and the surprising switch of Zubair Ahmed and his wife Shagufta from Congress to AAP.
The current MLA Abdul Rehman resigned from his position as the chief of Aam Aadmi Party’s Minority Cell on Tuesday. Rehman, who won the 2019 Assembly elections, remains the sitting MLA of Seelampur. His sudden resignation, announced via social media, cited “growing differences in views” as the reason behind the decision.
The announcement came shortly after Zubair Ahmed, son of Congress stalwart Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed, and his wife, Shagufta Ahmed, declared their decision to leave the Congress and join the Aam Aadmi Party. The decision came rather as a shock for the public as Zubair’s father, Chaudhary Mateen Ahmad has served as an MLA from Seelampur for five consecutive terms and is considered the face of Congress in the area.
Rehman, following reports of the couple’s induction, posted on X: “I am resigning from the post of President of Minority Cell of Aam Aadmi Party. I have taken this decision in view of the growing differences in my views. I hope that the party and my supporters will understand my step.”
People have anticipated this move as AAP’s decision to replace Abdur Rahman with Zubair, amid reports of rising public discontent with Abdul Rehman’s leadership.
Local sources revealed that people have not been satisfied with the developmental activities of the MLA and hence the party has gauged a declining probability of him getting a victory in the next elections.
Shagufta Chaudhary, a sitting councillor from Chauhan Banger, attributed the couple’s decision to join AAP to failed talks over a potential alliance between AAP and Congress ahead of the Delhi elections. “The AAP wanted a tie-up with Congress, but the Congress leadership did not agree. Kejriwal has been doing good developmental work in our constituency, and we do not want a BJP candidate to win the elections, which is why we have switched parties,” Shagufta said.
However, the Ahmed family’s political shift has sparked outrage among local Congress supporters, with party workers reportedly vandalising posters of Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed’s family in the area. Public criticism has mounted, with many pointing out that the Ahmed family’s 2020 election campaign focused on anti-Kejriwal rhetoric, accusing him of being responsible for the controversial action against the Nizamuddin Markaz during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden change in their stance has led to widespread scepticism about the couple’s loyalties and political sincerity.
Shagufta addressed the criticism by highlighting the communal tensions in the constituency, particularly threats faced by street vendors from BJP workers.
“Our constituency has also been facing communal issues, especially with street vendors being threatened by BJP. Working with AAP will increase our chances of winning,” she said.
While Zubair Ahmed is expected to contest from Seelampur, Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed, despite his family’s switch to AAP, is reportedly planning to remain loyal to the Congress.
This unexpected political realignment has added to the already tense atmosphere in Seelampur, with both internal party conflicts and communal issues shaping the constituency’s electoral landscape as the next Assembly elections approach.
