In Delhi Assembly polls, AAP’s Aaley Iqbal records highest margin — from Matia Mahal seat

In 2015, he was defeated by AAP’s former minister Asim Ahmed Khan, who contested the 2025 election on a Congress ticket from the same seat. In 2020, shortly after joining the AAP, Shoaib reclaimed the seat from Khan by winning with a margin of over 50,000 votes.

Aaley’s candidature was not guaranteed initially. The AAP had named Shoaib, his father and the sitting MLA from the seat, as its candidate from the constituency.

However, Aaley had earlier told The Indian Express that an internal survey and discussions with party chief Arvind Kejriwal led to his candidature.

This had come amid Shoaib’s intention to leave state politics and to carve an identity at the national level. Reflecting on this decision, Aaley had said, “In the election survey, we both received favourable public reviews. My father has served as an MLA from this seat six times and now wants to step into national politics.”

Although this was his first Assembly election, Aaley is no stranger to electoral battles.

His political journey began at 21, when he became the youngest councillor in Delhi after winning the 2012 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections from Turkman Gate as a candidate from the Rashtriya Lok Dal.

After being re-elected in 2017 and then again in 2022 — both times with record-breaking margins — he was until recently serving as the Deputy Mayor. While winning the seat, he had managed to reach another historic milestone — becoming the first Muslim Deputy Mayor of Delhi since 1977.

His accessibility and hands-on approach to governance are behind his popularity among the masses, said party insiders. As a Deputy Mayor, he was known for personally addressing grievances — his office was a revolving door for residents seeking immediate resolutions to their problems. From morning till late afternoon, his office was known to be open to all. People visited him with their issues, and he had earned a reputation of being responsive to their problems.

Stepping into the role of the Matia Mahal MLA, Aaley said he will remain committed to his grassroots ethos.

“I thank the people of Matia Mahal for considering me worthy of this remarkable victory. My purpose now is to ensure that all incomplete tasks are finished on priority. As a councillor, I have stood up to people’s expectations, and will continue to do so, just like my father,” he added.