In Rampur, BJP and SP gear up for Lok Sabha bypoll in Azam Khan’s shadow

Raja is a relatively lesser-known figure. An Azam aide, this will be his first-ever election, having earlier handled local Nagar Palika departments. Raja has been with the party for decades but, for people, it is his association with the SP veteran that is of most significance. BJP candidate Ghanshyam Lodhi was also once close to Azam and was elected to the state legislative council in 2016 on an SP ticket.

Campaigning for the bypoll concluded on Tuesday, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is seen by many BJP supporters as the key to the ruling party’s chances, addressing two rallies. Adityanath lashed out at Khan, without taking his name. “Because of his kaarname (acts), he had to constantly stay in jail. If his actions were right, why did he have to stay in jail? And when he was elected to the Vidhan Sabha, he left the people who elected him to the Lok Sabha. He should not appeal for votes,” said the UP CM.

Adityanath said his government had used “Rampur ka chaku (knife)” to protect the area’s dignity and would not let the constituency become a “den of anarchy”.

But despite the multiple cases in connection with which he spent over two years in prison, the SP’s leader’s popularity remains undiminished. “Azam Khan carries a certain reputation in the city. The cases against him show that the government is afraid of him. They know the kind of influence he has in the region. But people here are aware of Khan’s importance. Asim Raja may not be known to people but Azam Khan’s faith in him will be enough to convince people,” said Imtiaz Khan, a shopkeeper.

The Supreme Court last month granted interim bail to Azam in a land-grabbing case, exercising its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution. The court also flagged the “peculiar” circumstances of the matter. The SP leader has been granted bail in 87 cases.

Not only Raja, but Lodhi has also been in Azam’s shadow. In SP circles, there is a famous story of how, in 2016, the veteran SP leader flew to the constituency in a helicopter with Lodhi’s MLC ticket as the nomination period was about to end. To many people, the BJP candidate also draws his identity from Azam and will not be able to breach the SP leader’s bastion.

BJP supporters in the area claimed that Ghanshyam was not a visible face. Adityanath was the key to the BJP’s chances of winning the constituency, they added.

“The fact remains that no one knows Ghanshyam in the area,” said Jwala Nagar resident Ashok, who is a professional DJ. “He has been in different parties as well. But he is a credible face. We are all grateful to ‘Baba ji’ (Yogi) for his bulldozer against criminals. The SP is known for its hooliganism and things have been in check because of law and order.”

Rampur has a predominantly Muslim population with nearly eight lakh voters from the community. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi won the election from the constituency in 1998 but had to vacate it following a no-confidence motion after the Kargil war. The Congress has represented the constituency the most, with Zulfiqar Ali Khan getting elected MP five times. In the bypolls, Congress has not fielded any candidate and its Rampur Assembly poll candidate Kazim Ali Khan who lost to Azam earlier this year has extended support to Lodhi.

The ruling party is also leaving no stone unturned in campaigning for its candidate. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya addressed public meetings on Sunday. At least 16 state ministers have been deployed to canvass for Lodhi. Meanwhile, with Akhilesh Yadav skipping Rampur, Azam is the only prominent leader spearheading the SP’s campaign.

The ruling party has built up a narrative of Azam as a leader with little interest in public welfare. BJP supporters in the area alleged that from schools to the world-famous Raza library, the veteran SP leader had stolen something from everywhere.

“The true face of Azam Khan has been revealed to everyone. The residents of Rampur know what he is capable of. From land grabbing to stealing, he has done it all. Muslims are also unhappy with him. We are looking at a comfortable victory because people have faith in this government. His criminal antecedents have done no good to anyone. People want a corruption-free and fair representative,” said UP Minister of State Kapil Dev Agarwal who has been campaigning for Lodhi.