It was a much-awaited meeting between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and the party’s veteran leader Azam Khan since the latter’s release from jail after nearly two years, and it went almost as per the script of the party leadership’s liking. As Akhilesh flew to Rampur on Wednesday afternoon, and his chopper landed at Jauhar University, the 77-year-old Azam Khan was there to receive him. Khan welcomed Akhilesh, and, in his characteristic style, held his hand and took him through the silver gate of his residence in the Mumtaz Park neighbourhood. It was a one-on-one meeting, as desired by Khan, that lasted for close to two hours. Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting outside Khan’s residence, Akhilesh said, “I could not meet him earlier in jail. So I came to meet Azam Khan sahab at his home and enquire about his health and well-being.” Khan was released from Sitapur jail on September 26. Akhilesh said that Azam Khan was a senior socialist leader with deep roots in the party and as an old associate of SP patriarch and his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav. “Azam Khan sahab is among our oldest leaders. Old leaders have their own distinct aura. He is like a tree for our party, the roots of which run deep. The shade of this tree has always protected us.” Akhilesh said the cases against Azam Khan and his family were “false and politically-motivated”. “No family has been harassed as much as Azam Khan sahab’s. The BJP seems to be making a Guinness World Record for filing the maximum number of fake cases against one political family.” “His wife, son Abdullah, and several associates have been booked in false cases. If someone were to count, it might even enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of false cases filed against one family,” he added. Expressing hope for justice, Akhilesh Yadav said, “We are fighting a big battle together. I wish him good health and hope he gets justice soon.” Asked by a reporter whether all differences between Akhilesh Yadav and him were resolved, Khan shot back, asking, “Where did you get that information from?” “All the false cases against the respected Azam Khan sahab will eventually be withdrawn,” Akhilesh reiterated his promise. He asserted that the government in Uttar Pradesh will change after the 2027 Assembly polls and the “voice of the people will rise again”. Speaking after the meeting, Azam Khan downplayed it, saying it was nothing worthy of a “headline”. But insiders said that the two leaders discussed Azam Khan and his family’s future in the Samajwadi Party. Earlier in the day, Yadav’s visit to Rampur to meet Khan on Wednesday left police officers of Bareilly, Moradabad, and Rampur — and even local party leaders — flummoxed as, sources said, his travel schedule changed twice since Tuesday night. Around 10.30 am on Wednesday, the programme finally released by Akhilesh’s personal staff in Lucknow stated that the SP national president will be landing by private aircraft at Bareilly airport, from where he will take a chopper to the helipad on the Jauhar University premises in Rampur. A senior official had earlier confirmed that, as per the programme, Akhilesh would land at Bareilly at 11.15 am and reach the Jauhar University helipad at 11.50 am. He was scheduled to arrive at Azam Khan’s residence at 12.15 pm, and stay there till 1.15 pm. He was scheduled to return to Bareilly airport to fly to Lucknow at 2 pm. Why is this meeting significant The meeting gains significance in view of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh that are scheduled to be held in two years in 2027, and Akhilesh would want to ensure that Azam Khan is in the SP camp during the elections. While Azam’s influence over the state’s politics has dwindled over the last five years – as he faced scores of cases and two jail terms (27 and 23 months) – the Samajwadi Party still sees value in keeping him on its side. While maintaining that he has no complaints from anyone, Khan has on multiple occasions dropped hints that he felt neglected by the party. The day he was released from Sitapur prison last month, Azam, when asked why no senior SP leader was accompanying him, said he was a “small person”. The same day, Akhilesh had said that when the SP returns to power in the state, all the cases against Khan and his family will be dropped. In his interview with The Indian Express on Tuesday, Azam made it clear that he was not done with politics, and would continue to work with the party of which he is a founding member. Asked about his role in the SP in the future, Azam had said in the interview: “Standing at the very back. The one who stands at the very back is the one who will be seen. Many will rush to be at the front. But the one standing at the very back will be clearly visible from far. I want to stand at the very back. And I always do.”
