Setback for Samajwadi Party as key Azam Khan aide joins BJP

Fasahat, who was associated with Azam Khan from over two decades, refused to comment on the former Rampur legislator.

Rampur, seen as the Azam Khan family’s pocket borough, is scheduled to go to bypolls on December 5 — it was necessitated after Khan’s disqualification from the Assembly over his conviction in a 2019 hate speech case last month.

Asked about the reason for joining BJP, Fasahat said he was inspired by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, as well as the policies of BJP governments. He claimed that the “lotus” — BJP’s election symbol — will bloom in Rampur in the upcoming elections.

Accusing the SP, BSP and the Congress of duping Muslims once elections get over, Fasahat said, “During elections, these parties treat Muslims the same way as a bay leaf is used in cooking biryani. After the biryani is cooked, the bay leaf is thrown away.”

In April, weeks after SP’s defeat in UP Assembly polls, Fasahat had accused party’s national president Akhilesh Yadav of ignoring Azam Khan and the Muslim community, leading to speculation over a rift in the party in Rampur. Fasahat had also claimed to be the district general secretary of SP in Rampur.

Fasahat had accused Akhilesh of maintaining silence on the issues of Muslims and making no efforts to get Azam Khan out of the jail. He had also alleged that Yadav met Khan only once in prison and the party made no attempt to secure his release in two-and-a-half years — Khan was released from jail in May.

SP’s Rampur district working president Virendra Goel said Fasahat did not hold any position in the party at present, as the district unit was dissolved a few months ago.

The SP has fielded Mohammed Asim Raja, an Azam Khan loyalist, against BJP’s Akash Saxena in the by-election.