Amanatullah Khan Under ED Scanner: Difficult Days For AAP Ahead of Assembly Elections in 5 States? Explained

With losing three prominent leaders such as Sanjay Singh, Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia, how will the Aam Aadmi Party be able to fight the upcoming assembly polls in absence of its seasoned leaders.

Written by: Manmath Nayak

Updated: October 10, 2023, 2:03 PM IST

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Immediately after Sanjay Singh’s arrest, the ED raids at the premises of Amanatullah Khan raises questions as to who other prominent AAP leaders to come under ED scanner.

New Delhi: A day after the Election Commission announced the dates for assembly elections in 5 states, the Enforcement Directorate raided the premises of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan in connection with a money laundering case. The searches are being undertaken under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Notably, the ED action is based on an FIR filed by the Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and another filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). These cases are related to alleged corruption involving illegal appointments to the Delhi Waqf Board, where Khan serves as the chairman.

The development comes just a day after the EC announced the schedule for assembly polls in Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana. As per the schedule, polls will be held in Mizoram on November 7, Chhattisgarh on November 7 and November 17, Madhya Pradesh on November 17, Rajasthan on November 23 and Telangana on November 30. The counting of votes will take place on December 3 in all the states.

Difficult Days For AAP Ahead of Assembly Polls?

In a big blow to the AAP just ahead of the assembly polls in five states, several of its ministers are under the ED scanner. Prior to Amanatullah Khan, the ED had earlier raided the premises of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who has always been in the forefront of the AAP’s political campaigns wherever it had earlier contested elections. In the UP elections, he was the prominent face of the party along with Manish Sisodia in taking out Tiranga Yatra. Although the results were hardly in their favour, but they created a buzz during the UP elections.

Immediately after Sanjay Singh’s arrest, the ED raids at the premises of Amanatullah Khan raises questions as to who other prominent AAP leaders to come under ED scanner.

As the AAP became a national party after winning the Punjab elections and contributing to the defeat of the Congress in Gujarat, there were expectations that the party would play a crucial role as part of the INDIA bloc seem to have met with setbacks as its prominent leaders are facing trouble and will no more be available for the upcoming assembly elections.

Notably, this is the third major arrest from the AAP after Satyandar Jain and Manish Sisodia. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was arrested in May last year in a money laundering case through four companies that were allegedly linked to him.

Sisodia’s Arrest Was Major Setback For AAP

The major setback for the AAP, however, came in February this year, when Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and close Arvind Kejriwal aide Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in the alleged liquor policy scam. Sisodia’s arrest has dented the AAP’s clean image of corruption-free governance and its untainted leadership.

Kejriwal Confident of Winning 3 Assembly Polls

Despite facing setback, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal put a brave face before media on Monday claiming that his party would contest in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan with full strength and will win the assembly polls.

Giving details about the AAP’s preparation for the assembly polls, Kejriwal said, “We are prepared to contest the elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh with full strength.”