SPOTLIGHT BACK ON AZAM: PARTIES JOSTLE TO CASH IN

Lucknow: Former UP minister and Samajwadi Party’s ten-term MLA Azam Khan, who recently resigned as MP, seems to be at the helm of the political stir in UP. There is, apparently, a competition among leaders of many parties to meet this veteran politician of Rampur.

UP’s political mercury boiled over when Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) President Shivpal Yadav met Azam Khan in Sitapur Jail on April 22. After this meeting Shivpal trained his guns on nephew Akhilesh, by slamming the latter for ignoring incarcerated Azam Khan. Yadav’s jail visit follows a recent meeting of Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary, an SP ally, with Khan’s family in Rampur. Earlier, Azam Khan camp has expressed unhappiness with Akhilesh Yadav, claiming he has been ignoring the jailed leader and the Muslim community though it voted for the SP. After these developments that embarrass the SP camp, SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra reached Sitapur for damage control but Khan expressed his anguish towards the SP by refusing to meet him. However, after this Azam met with Congress leader Pramod Krishnam. Later, while talking to the media, Krishnam said Azam does not want to meet any SP leader. Even BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh hailed Shivpal’s meeting with Azam, saying he would also be willing to meet the jailed leader.

Experts say, the political equations of 2024 are behind this sudden affection for Azam, who was isolated for 2 years.

Lawyer-turned-politician Azam Khan has influence in the Muslim community. This time, despite outright support of Muslim voters, the victory of SP could not be possible. Due to this a vacuum has been created before the Muslim voters and parties are toiling to fill this gap by getting Azam’s support.