New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS): In a major setback to the Congress party ahead of Assembly elections in the capital, five-time MLA Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday.

Mateen Ahmed has represented the Seelampur Assembly constituency five times from 1993 to 2015. Previously, he served as the Vice-President of the Delhi Jal Board and was appointed chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board under former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

He holds substantial influence in about ten Assembly constituencies across Delhi, particularly among Muslim voters.

AAP's national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal personally visited Mateen Ahmed's residence to welcome him into the party, accompanied by Delhi government minister Imran Hussain.

Kejriwal's visit has strengthened speculations that Mateen's family members may secure a ticket in the upcoming elections.

Kejriwal, speaking about Mateen Ahmed's entry into AAP, said, "Chaudhary Sahab is finally where he belongs."

"AAP is not formed like other parties in the country. We came to serve the public and work honestly. For the past ten years, we have been serving the people. Chaudhary Sahib should have joined our party ten years ago. But he has now joined the right party," he said.

"Chaudhary Sahib is a big name in Delhi politics. The AAP is known for its service to the public, and Chaudhary Sahib and his family are also known for their service to the people," the former Delhi CM said.

On Diwali, Mateen Ahmed's son, Chaudhary Zubair, former Babarpur district president for Congress, and Shagufta Chaudhary, Congress Councillor from Chauhan Bangar had also joined AAP.

Chaudhary Zubair resigned citing "personal reasons," while Shagufta stated that she joined AAP to foster peace and harmony in her community.