Uttar Pradesh : Akhilesh Yadav is trying to save, will Azam Khan be able to change his mind?
In the politics of Samajwadi Party, once again Azam Khan’s flame has started appearing as before. Azam Khan, who came out of jail after 27 months, played such a political gamble of pressure politics, in which Akhilesh Yadav is seen completely trapped in his maze. In order to improve his relationship with Azam Khan and remove all the grievances, Akhilesh Yadav is busy fulfilling his every wish.
Akhilesh Yadav is giving priority to Azam’s close people instead of his alliance partners and leaders close to him. From Rajya Sabha to Rampur Lok Sabha by-elections and in the Legislative Council elections, only Azam Khan ran in the candidate selection of SP. Due to the increasing political dominance of Azam Khan in the SP, the political equations of the party have also started messing up, but Akhilesh has made a strategy to overcome Azam Khan’s displeasure for the time being.
Azam Khan’s close leaders Shahnawaz Khan Shabbu and Jasmir Ansari, who left the Congress and entered the SP, are overshadowed in the MLC elections. The decision of sending Kapil Sibal to the Rajya Sabha, making Asim Raja a candidate in the Rampur Lok Sabha by-election and sending two Muslim leaders close to Azam in the Legislative Council to the Legislative Council, is being seen to be linked with Azam Khan.
Was Azam Khan’s bet successful?
Actually, SP leader Azam Khan was lodged in Sitapur jail for more than two years. During this, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav went to Sitapur jail to meet Azam Khan only once, Akhilesh could not create any kind of big movement for his release. In such a situation, Azam Khan, through his supporters, gave only a hint that the SP President is angry with Akhilesh Yadav. After this, all the opposition leaders from Shivpal Singh Yadav intensified the process of meeting him, but Azam Khan kept distance from the SP leaders.
At the same time, about 10 days after coming out of jail, Akhilesh Yadav met Azam Khan at Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi. However, before that, Akhilesh surrounded the Yogi government by raising the cases registered against Azam Khan in the House of the Assembly and tried to tell that he had put the issue of Azam Khan in front of the Prime Minister. Even if this did not work, Akhilesh started giving political priority to the leaders close to Azam Khan. Kapil Sibal did the work of bridge between Akhilesh and Azam.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav does not want to anger Azam Khan in any way in the changed political circumstances, nor is he away from the party. In such a situation, at least this is being felt by the decisions taken by Akhilesh Yadav. Akhilesh has taken care of Azam Khan’s wishes from sending Rajya Sabha to Rampur by-elections and Legislative Council, due to this Akhilesh has to defeat the aspirations of many of his close leaders and allies.
Kapil Sibal sent to Rajya Sabha
Akhilesh Yadav sent the famous lawyer Kapil Sibal, who got bail from the Supreme Court to Azam Khan in the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, to the Upper House. Azam Khan had told reporters that we would be happy if the SP sends Sibal to the Rajya Sabha. Akhilesh Yadav, bypassing the leaders of his party, sent support to independent candidate Kapil Sibal and sent him to the Rajya Sabha. It is believed that sending Kapil Sibal to Rajya Sabha was the first step in the direction of removing Azam’s displeasure. Along with Kapil Sibal, Javed Ali Khan was also sent to the Rajya Sabha as a Muslim representation.
Ticket to Azam’s close friend in Rampur
In the Rampur Lok Sabha by-election, Akhilesh Yadav left the decision of selecting SP candidate to Azam Khan. In such a situation, Azam Khan himself declared his close friend Asim Raza as the candidate of SP. Asim Raja is more loyal to Azam Khan than SP, due to which he has got Lok Sabha ticket from SP. Describing him as his dear friend and having long political experience, Azam had said that we want to fight Asim Raja and you want to take account of everyone’s troubles and if Asim loses then his problems will increase. It is clear from this that Azam made Asim Raza the candidate from Rampur.
MLC ticket to two faces of Azam
Imran Masood, a strong leader of western UP, had joined the SP during the 2022 assembly elections, but neither got a ticket in the assembly nor in the MLC election. Akhilesh fielded Shahnawaz Khan alias Shabbu, son of former minister Sarfaraz Khan, close to Azam Khan, in place of Imran Masood in the MLC elections. Shahnawaz is considered a loyalist of Azam and he is from the same Saharanpur from where Imran Masood comes. Although Akhilesh first wanted to play a stake in strengthening his vote bank in western Uttar Pradesh through Imran Masood, Azam Khan once again overshadowed the party’s strategy.
MLC reward to Jasmir-Ansari
Jasmir Ansari has got the MLC seat reward as Azam Khan’s second favorite. Jasmir Ansari had left the Congress and joined the SP and is counted among the leaders close to Azam. Jasmir Ansari stood with one leg for Azam during his 27 months in Sitapur Jail. They used to work to provide both food and medicine to Azam in jail. It is being said that Azam Khan has paid the price for this favor by making him a candidate for the Legislative Council. In this way, by sending two close friends to the Legislative Council, Azam has also made him realize his political power. Azam Khan’s son Abdullah Azam was present during the nomination of SP candidates, who was testifying that now Azam’s old days in SP have returned.
Let us tell you that there is about 20 percent Muslim voters in UP, who have a special impact on a dozen parliamentary seats. In such a situation, seeing the political power of Muslim votes, it was not easy for the SP to ignore them. Azam is also the biggest Muslim face in SP at present and has a good hold in the Muslim belt of Rohilkhand to western UP. In view of the 2024 elections, Akhilesh does not want to risk Azam Khan’s displeasure in any way. That is why every wish of Azam is being fulfilled in SP.
