published by, Kavya Mishra
Last Update: May 13, 2023, 7:08 PM IST
Azam Khan has been MP from Rampur parliamentary constituency and 10 times MLA from Rampur assembly constituency. (File News 18)
While campaigning for SP candidate Chouhan, Azam Khan had claimed that he would win the election. He had said, “If there is any injustice (with reference to the election results), it would be fraud.”
The ruling BJP-led alliance on Saturday ended Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan’s dominance of over four decades in Rampur, with its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) winning the Swar assembly bypoll by a margin of 8,724 votes.
According to the Election Commission’s website, Shafiq Ahmad Ansari of Apna Dal (Sonelal) led by Anupriya Patel secured a little over 50 per cent of the total votes polled.
Ansari got 68,630 votes and his nearest rival and Samajwadi Party candidate Anuradha Chauhan got 59,906 votes. In the by-election held on May 10, more than 1.35 lakh votes were cast.
Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress did not field candidates for this seat.
Ansari said that his victory is the result of collective effort and hard work of BJP and Apna Dal (Sonelal) workers.
With the victory, the ruling coalition ended Azam Khan’s more than four-decade hold on the Muslim-majority Rampur district. Azam Khan and his family watch the election results on TV at their Jail Road residence.
Out of the five assembly seats falling under Rampur Lok Sabha seat, BJP holds Bilaspur, Rampur and Milak-SC. Chamrau is held by SP and Suar by BJP’s ally Apna Dal (Sonelal).
The BJP had also won the Rampur parliamentary constituency, which is considered Azam Khan’s bastion.
Azam Khan, who has been the Muslim face of the SP since Mulayam Singh Yadav’s time, remained undefeated since 1980 from any party in power from the Rampur Sadar assembly seat.
In November 2022, Azam Khan’s name was removed from the voter list in Rampur after he was convicted in a 2019 hate speech case. As a result, he could not cast his vote in the by-election in Suar.
In February 2023, Abdullah Azam Khan’s name was removed from the voter list after he was disqualified from the assembly. A Moradabad court sentenced him to two years in a 15-year-old case.
While campaigning for SP candidate Chauhan, Azam Khan had claimed that she would win the election. He had said, “If there is any injustice (with reference to the election results), it would be fraud.”
He also targeted Apna Dal (Sonelal), saying, “The candidate who has brought a plate (referring to the party’s cup-plate election symbol), is with those who want to give knives to your (next) generation. Referring to his son’s conviction by a court and subsequent disqualification as Suar MLA, which necessitated the by-election, Azam Khan claimed that “there is no one who can defeat him”.
Responding to Azam Khan’s claims after the election results, Rampur BJP MLA Akash Saxena said, “Azam Khan has lost his mental balance, that’s why he is speaking like this.” Saxena said that Azam Khan was “getting punished for his deeds”.
“The person who does not have the right to vote should leave the country and not stay here after seeing the people’s mandate. Hate politics will not work here. Saxena said, Azam Khan has always worked to create a rift between Hindus and Muslims.
In last year’s assembly elections, Abdullah Khan defeated Haider Ali Khan of Apna Dal (Sonelal) in Suar.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)