Rampur heads for elections in absence of 'charismatic' Azam Khan

Rampur (UP): A subdued atmosphere prevailed throughout the election campaign in Rampur, which has over close to five decades become used to electrifying speeches by Azam Khan, a Samajwadi Party leader who has been removed from the fray because of his imprisonment.

After almost five decades, Lok Sabha elections are going to be held in the complete absence of Rampur's 'Khan,' who held the sway over its voters all these years.

Famous for its cultural and historical heritage, Rampur was the political stronghold of the Nawabs in the early decades after Independence. After that, the political rise of Azam Khan in the 80s eclipsed all his rivals ever since.

Khan, who had a stronghold on the politics of Rampur from 1978 to 2022, is currently serving seven years of imprisonment in the case of a fake birth certificate of his son Abdullah Azam.

Sardar Manmohan Singh, who runs a medicine business in Rampur Sadar area, said, "This time the enthusiasm of election is missing in Rampur. The biggest reason for this is that a charismatic leader like Azam Khan is in jail. We remember Khan Saheb's electrifying speeches." SP has fielded Imam Mohibullah Nadvi, a cleric of a mosque located on Parliament Street in Delhi, as its candidate.

An SP leader supporting Khan said the party decision made little sense to him and he would have preferred the party fielded someone close to Khan.

"I do not understand why party president Akhilesh Yadav chose Mohibullah Nadvi as the candidate. When Akhilesh ji met Khan Saheb in jail last month, I thought that a representative of Khan Saheb would be given the ticket from Rampur. I could not understand what happened after that," the person said.

Khan's absence has sent his supporters, somewhat, in a mood of apathy. Many have distanced themselves from Nadvi's election campaign.

Khan's close aide Asim Raja had filed nomination calling himself a SP candidate despite the party giving ticket to Mohibullah Nadvi. His nomination was rejected after scrutiny.

Khan has been an MLA from Rampur Sadar seat 10 times and an MP from Rampur Lok Sabha seat once.

He reached the Assembly for the first time in June 1980 from Rampur on Janata Party (Secular) ticket.

He was elected MP from Rampur seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

He last won an MLA election in 2022 from Rampur Sadar, but had to vacate the seat after being sentenced by the court.

The void he left behind has undermined any talk about issues such as inflation or unemployment.

Faizan, a businessman from Suar area under the Rampur Lok Sabha constituency, said, "The issue here is only about defeating Modi or making him win. Generally, the Muslim community here votes for Azam Khan's cycle (SP's election symbol). But this time the handle of the cycle is in the hands of someone else. I Don't know what will happen this time." Madan Lal, who runs a paan shop in Suar, said, "Inflation and unemployment are not an issue for the people here. They are the same today as they were before. Any leader, be it BJP or SP, never comes even to peep after winning the election." Vedram, a native of Donkri Tanda village of Chamraua assembly, said, "Along with the Muslims here, Hindus have also been voting for Azam Khan. There is no way of telling where the voters will go this time." BJP has fielded Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi, its sitting MP from Rampur, who defeated SP's Asim Raja in a by-election in 2022.

Lodhi said Rampur got freedom from the clutches of Azam Khan and is now moving on the path of development.

He said he is determined for the progress of Rampur Lok Sabha constituency, which has been deprived of development for decades.

SP's Nadvi, who has been fielded under a pact with the opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), is confident of his victory.

Nadvi, a resident of Swar in the district, says he has got a chance to make it his political workplace after a long time.

Nadvi claimed that being the candidate of INDIA bloc, he is getting the support of SP, as well as Congress, voters and he is hopeful that with everyone's support he will win.

Other major candidates contesting from the seat are Bahujan Samaj Party's Zeeshan Khan and senior advocate Mahmood Pracha, an Independent candidate, who has challenged the use of electronic voting machines in the court.

There are approximately 17.31 lakh voters in Rampur Lok Sabha constituency.

According to the latest figures, about 50.10 per cent of these are Muslims and 49.90 per cent are non-Muslims. Sheikh, Ansari and Pasmanda Muslims constitute 27 per cent of the Muslim voters.

Apart from this, Turks are 9.5 per cent, Pathans are nine per cent and others are 4.5 per cent.

Among Hindu voters, Dalit and Saini voters constitute nine per cent each, Lodhs eight per cent, Thakurs five per cent, Yadavs and Brahmins four per cent each, Sikhs three percent and Jains and Christians a total of 0.5 per cent.

Voting for Rampur seat will be held in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19.

Rampur Lok Sabha constituency has five assembly constituencies, out of which Bilaspur, Rampur Sadar and Milak seats are held by BJP and Suar Tanda seat is held by BJP's ally Apna Dal (Sonelal).

Chamrauwa seat of the district is with SP.