Sat Jan 04 09:14:37 UTC 2025: ## AAP Renominates Controversial Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan for Delhi Assembly Elections

**New Delhi:** The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced that Amanatullah Khan will once again contest the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections from the Okhla constituency. Khan, a prominent Muslim face for the party, is seeking a third term as MLA. His candidacy, however, is marked by a controversial past.

Khan, a 50-year-old Meerut native, joined the AAP in 2015 after an unsuccessful bid in the 2013 elections with the Lok Janshakti Party. His previous tenure has been characterized by both electoral success – winning by a significant margin in 2015 – and significant legal and political battles.

He was embroiled in an internal AAP rift in 2017, and his high-profile participation in the 2019-20 Shaheen Bagh protests, despite the AAP distancing itself, further cemented his public profile. More recently, Khan faced arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on money laundering charges, though he was later granted bail. He has also faced arrests related to a demolition drive and allegations of assault. As of 2022, 18 FIRs were filed against him, though he has been acquitted or discharged in 10 cases. A new charge related to an alleged assault on a petrol pump employee was filed in May 2024.

Despite this complex history, the AAP has chosen to retain Khan as its candidate, highlighting his continued importance to the party’s strategy in the Okhla constituency. The upcoming election will test whether voters overlook his past controversies and support his bid for re-election.

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