Invincible in Rampur, Azam Khan holds on to fort

LUCKNOW: He was slapped with over 80 criminal cases, was called 'bhoo' (land)-mafia and buffalo and goat thief. He was summoned for questioning just an hour before he was about to address an election rally to pitch for his wife, the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate in Rampur.
But, SP senior leader and MP Azam Khan again proved to be invincible in Fort Rampur, with his wife Tazeen Fatima defeating the BJP candidate with a bigger margin than 2017 assembly polls.Fatima polled 60% votes.
The assembly seat fell vacant after incumbent MLA Azam won the Lok Sabha seat from Rampur earlier this year.
With this victory, achieved under tough circumstances, Rampur continues to remain an impregnable bastion for the Khan family, which won it 10th time in a row.
With three wins out of 11 in the byelections, Rampur holds special significance as the fight for the seat was being seen in political circles as a fight between SP president Akhilesh Yadav and UP CM Yogi Adityanath. Rampur was the only seat where Akhilesh campaigned.
Targeting Maulana Jauhar univ didn’t go down well with voters
Ground reports say the way the Maulana Jauhar Ali University was targetted did not go down well with voters.
SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav shedding tears while saying “Azam sahab bahut garib ghar se aayen hai. Unhone ye university bheekh maang ke shuru karai” (Azam Khan was born in a humble family. He started this university by begging for funds) added to this sentiment.
During the elections also Azam Khan linked his “asmita” (prestige) with the Jauhar Ali University and sought votes in the name of saving it.
Azam also got the support of over 52 per cent Muslims and Dalits. The BSP candidate fared poorly here.
The party had also put all its might behind Azam. Mulayam even addressed a press conference in his support, attacking BJP for “unleashing political vendetta against Azam.”