UP Assembly Polls 2022: BJP Ally Apna Dal (S) Fields 1st Candidate, A Muslim, From Home Turf of Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan

Azam Khan, who is also lodged in UP's Sitapur jail on multipal charges, approached the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking interim bail to campaign in the upcoming elections.

Lucknow: In the latest political development ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party‘s (BJP) ally Apna Dal (S) has fielded a Muslim candidate Haider Ali Khan from the Suar seat, in western UP’s Rampur district, from where Abdullah Azam, the son of jailed Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan is expected to contest. This is the first time since 2014 that the BJP ally has fielded a Muslim candidate. The announcement came despite there being no official word on seat-sharing arrangement between National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners–BJP,  Union Minister Anupriya Patel‘s Apna Dal (S) and Sanjay Nishad’s Nishad party.

उत्तर प्रदेश विधानसभा चुनाव 2022 हेतु @ApnaDalUP के अधिकारिक प्रत्याशियों की प्रथम सूची pic.twitter.com/88catsYha8

— Apna Dal (S) (@ApnaDalOfficial) January 23, 2022

Who is Haider Ali Khan?

Khan, who belongs the Rampur Royal family, is grandson of Zulfiqar Ali Khan, a five-term Congress MP from Rampur. His father, Nawab Kazim Ali Khan, a four-term MLA from Congres, is opposition party’s candidate from Rampur seat, which is located next to Suar. Khan himself was first fielded by Congress from Suar constitunecy, but he took a U-turns after meeting Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel in Delhi.

Who is Abdullah Azam, Haider Ali Khan’s likely Opponent?

Abdullah Azam is the son of Samajwadi Party Lok Sabha MP Azam Khan. He had contested the 2017 Assembly election from Suar on Samajwadi Party’s ticket and won. However, two years later in December 2019, his election victory was cancelled by the Allahabad High Court on the grounds that he was below the eligible age linit of 25 years when he filed his nomination for the 2017 polls.

Abdullah had been in jail since February 2020 for multiple charges including cheating. He recently got bail and is most likely to be fielded by the Samajwadi Party from Suar again.

Yeaterday, his father Azam Khan, who is also lodged in UP’s Sitapur jail on multipal charges, approached the Supreme Court seeking interim bail to campaign in the upcoming elections.

UP Assembly election 2022

Elections to the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10.

The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

(With inputs from ANI)