SP fields Azam’s wife from Rampur

LUCKNOW: SP on Sunday declared senior party leader Azam Khan’s wife and Rajya Sabha MP Tazeen Fatima as candidate for by-elections in crucial Rampur constituency, relying on the family’s sway over the pocket borough. The party also announced five other candidates while extending support to RLD in Iglas constituency in Aligarh.
SP’s decision to field Fatima followed a series of protests launched by the party against 87 cases lodged against the husband-wife lawmakers and their MLA son.
Fatima has been pitted against Bharat Bhushan Gupta of BJP, Arshad Ali Khan of Congress and Zubair Masood Khan of BSP.
Apart from Fatima, SP has relied on young leaders by giving tickets to national general secretary of Lohia Vahini Nirbhay Singh from Manikpur in Chitrakoot, Gaurav Kumar Rawat from Zaidpur in Barabanki and ex-MLA Sudhakar Singh from Ghosi. Party leader Brijesh Verma Patel to contest from Patel-Kurmi bastion of Pr-atapgarh and Subhash Rai from Jalalpur in Ambedkar Nagar.