Now, BJP eyes Azam Khan’s bastion Rampur (Sadar)

Political experts feel that if Azam Khan’s conviction in the 2019 hate speech case is upheld in the subsequent appeal, the by-poll would allow the BJP a fresh opportunity to weaken the hold of Khan and the Samajwadi Party on this Muslim-majority seat.

LUCKNOW: The disqualification of Azam Khan, the Muslim face of the state’s main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP), who had won the 2022 UP polls from Rampur (Sadar) assembly constituency for the tenth time, has now opened up the BJP’s prospects on the seat that has been with Khan or his clan for decades.

On Friday, Khan, was convicted by an MP/MLA court for a three-year term in a 2019 hate speech case and subsequently disqualified from his assembly membership by UP assembly Speaker Satish Mahana. (Pic for representation)

On Friday, Khan, was convicted by an MP/MLA court for a three-year term in a 2019 hate speech case and subsequently disqualified from his assembly membership by UP assembly Speaker Satish Mahana.

The court has granted bail to Khan and allowed him time to file an appeal against his conviction and yet, political experts feel that if the conviction is upheld in the subsequent appeal, the by-poll would allow the BJP a fresh opportunity to weaken the hold of Khan and the Samajwadi Party on this Muslim-majority seat.

“I think the assembly Speaker’s move to disqualify Azam Khan is in keeping with the court’s ruling. Now, since Khan has been disqualified, there would be a by-poll and ‘kamal khilega (lotus would bloom)’ said U.P. deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Asked about the hate speech that got Azam disqualified, Maurya said, “I think this (disqualification) is a lesson for all those in public life, to make statements with great caution and responsibility. One can follow any political ideology but then, one should steer clear of making any derogatory statement. I think now all will think twice before making derogatory or unparliamentary remarks.”

Former Azam aide-turned BJP’s current Lok Sabha MP from Rampur, Ghanshyam Lodhi has been asked by the party to virtually camp in Rampur while top BJP leaders, including possibly chief minister Yogi Adityanath, would campaign in the key by-poll, where a win, political experts admit, is expected to further boost the BJP’s prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Little over half of the electorate in Rampur comprises of Muslims, who have played a big part in shaping a series of wins for Khan and occasionally, in his absence (like when Khan quit Rampur Sadar assembly seat after contesting and winning Rampur Lok Sabha seat in 2019 LS polls), to members of his clan. Khan had first become a lawmaker in 1980 and has since gone on to become a minister in all governments under Mulayam Singh Yadav and subsequently under Akhilesh Yadav, the current SP chief.

“It won’t be a surprise if any member of Khan’s family, may be his wife (who had held the family seat after Khan had become the Lok Sabha MP) is fielded if Khan’s likely appeal against his conviction is turned down,” said Irshad Ilmi, a political observer.

The BJP has of late, launched a series of initiatives aimed at connecting with ‘pasmanda (backward)’ Muslims, who incidentally, comprise the core of Khan’s vote bank in Rampur, despite the BJP’s surprise win on the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in the June by-poll.

Khan, who had campaigned in the Lok Sabha by-poll, (required after he quit Rampur LS seat to contest from his traditional Rampur Sadar assembly seat), had alleged foul play and misuse of official machinery, a charge rejected by the BJP.

Maurya, who has been regularly picking at the Samajwadi Party, is the most prominent OBC face of the BJP in UP, and had made a similar ‘kamal khilega’ remark on Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, another Samajwadi Party bastion, where also a by-poll is due after the demise of the socialist icon and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

As the urban development minister, Khan had launched a series of projects for Rampur, including his dream project the Jauhar University.

“Depends on who is fielded from here but defeating Azam sahib or any of his clan isn’t going to be easy for anyone, for sure. Remember how Azam sahib won the 2022 UP polls with 59.71 per cent votes from jail itself? This was despite a massive campaign and conspiracy hatched against him by his political opponents. Here, everybody swears by him,” said Mohd Imran, a resident of Rampur (Sadar) assembly seat.