Lok Sabha polls: Azam Khan loyalists to be under test in Rampur
Azam Khan from Rampur politics has left party workers in a dilemma whether to vote for his alternative or keep their allegiance to the stalwart who has won the constituency a record 10 times. Khan, who is currently lodged in Sitapur jail, has been replaced by Mohibullah Nadvi, a cleric of a mosque located on Delhi's Parliament Street.
Changing party candidates may be normal for any other Lok Sabha constituency, but in the case of Rampur, it is not at all trivial.
Asim Raja, a close aide of Azam Khan, had also filed his nomination describing himself an SP candidate, despite the party giving ticket to Nadvi. His nomination was rejected during scrutiny.
Azam Khan has undisputedly been the most influential leader in Rampur in the last five decades and has had direct involvement in all activities of the SP in the district all along.
The SP, however, has this time been apparently forced to duke it out without his clout, and a wholehearted support of his followers.
Speaking about the confusion in the local unit, party's district president Ajay Sagar said, «We are deeply saddened that this time neither mantri ji (Azam Khan) nor any member of his family is in the electoral fray. We are missing him a lot.»
«Every possible effort will be made to make the candidate sent by the party win,» he told PTI.
Rampur Parliamentary seat will go to vote in the first phase on April 19.
Nadvi, throughout his campaign, has called Azam Khan his «bade bhai» (elder brother) and sought people's votes, so that Khan could be freed.
While
