Lucknow | Jagran News Desk: Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) might have to face another setback following the conclusion of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022 as veteran party leader Azam Khan is reportedly ‘unhappy’ with the party’s top brass.
According to a report by news agency IANS, Khan – who is currently lodged in Sitapur jail – might leave the SP and form his own party. Quoting sources, the IANS report said Khan is ‘upset’ with Akhilesh as he did not visit him in Sitapur jail, except once, where he is lodged since February 2020.
The speculations of Azam flouting his own party are high as his media in charge Fasahat Khan Shanu on Sunday said Uttar Pradesh “Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was right when he said that Akhilesh does not want Azam Khan to be out of jail.”
Fasahat made the remark during a meeting of Khan’s supporters in Rampur.
“On the indication of Azam Khan, the Muslims not only in Rampur, but also in several districts voted for the SP. But the SP national president did not take the side of Muslims. Azam Khan is in jail for more than two years, but the SP president only once went to meet him in jail. Not just this, Muslims are not being given importance in the party,” IANS quoted Fasahat as saying.
“Now Akhilesh Yadav feels that our clothes stink.”
Khan, against whom 80 cases have been lodged, contested the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022 from Rampur and won. However, his party failed to dethrone the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Uttar Pradesh.
The SP-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) combine bagged 125 seats while the BJP won 255 seats in the 403-member legislative assembly of Uttar Pradesh.
If Khan decides to leave SP, then it would be a big setback for Akhilesh, who is already dealing with a disgruntled Shivpal Singh Yadav. Just like Khan, Shivpal, founder of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP), is also upset with Akhilesh and is mulling to leave the SP.
However, the SP has refuted all such ‘baseless’ reports. Party state spokesperson and national secretary Rajendra Chaudhary has said that he is “not aware” about Fasahat’s remarks, adding that “Khan is with the SP and the SP is with him”.
