Why BJP ally Apna Dal-S fielded a Muslim candidate from Suar, Rampur for UP polls

BJP’s ally in the UP State Assembly Elections 2022, Apna Dal (Sonelal), has announced Haider Ali Khan, grandson of former Lok Sabha MP Begum Noor Bano as its candidate from the Suar seat. This is also the first time since 2014 that NDA ally Apna Dal (S) has fielded a Muslim candidate in an election. On January 13, 2022, Congress Party had selected Haider as its candidate but he left Congress and joined Apna Dal (S). 

Haider Ali Khan, 32, a graduate from the Essex University is the son of Nawab Kazim Ali Khan, a four-time legislator from Suar and Bilaspur (now extinct) constituency. Kazim Ali Khan contested on a BSP ticket in 2017 from the Suar seat, but lost to Abdullah Azam Khan, son of Lok Sabha MP and nine-time MLA from Rampur, Azam Khan.

What makes this war in Rampur interesting is the battle of political dominion between Azam Khan and Rampur Nawab family that has been brewing over the years. While Azam has maintained his clout by winning back-to-back assembly elections since 1980, his opponents have cried gross injustice in Rampur under his regime.

The Rampur MP is lodged in Sitapur Jail, sick and bed-ridden. His son, Abdullah Azam Khan fought back tears a few days ago in a viral video where he spoke of the political incarceration done to his family. At such a point, the contest in Rampur will be an interesting one to watch. 

Here is a quick glance at the political rivalry between Azam Khan and the Rampur Nawabs:

AZAM VS NAWABS

Politically, Rampur was the bastion of the family of Nawabs until 1980 when Mohammad Azam Khan, a lawyer, from Aligarh Muslim University entered the political arena. He contested his first legislative assembly election on Janata Dal (Secular seat) from Rampur Sadar and won the seat in 1980.

In 1993, Khan contested from Samajwadi Party (SP), a party which he co-founded in 1992 with Mulayam Singh Yadav, an OBC leader in UP. Since 1980, Azam Khan has won the seat nine times and has remained undefeated. Though his vote share has plummeted to a limit, he managed to win the seat.

THE SUAR SEAT

In 2017, Azam Khan got a ticket for his son Abdullah Azam Khan to contest from the Suar constituency of Rampur, a seat that had been a stronghold of Rampur Nawab Kazim Ali Khan. A member of the royal family and son of former Rampur MP Begum Noor Bano, Kazim, had been a four-time legislator from the seat from 1996 to 2017. In 2017, his winning streak was broken by Azam Khan’s son, Abdullah Azam Khan.

Abdullah won the seat by 65,000 votes. In the words of Azam Khan, there was a last nail to be drilled in the coffin of the Nawabs. By acquiring the Suar seat, he accomplished that.

A MUSLIM DOMINATED SEAT

One of the interesting facts about the Suar constituency is that it’s a 40 per cent Muslim-dominated constituency. It would be difficult for a non-Muslim candidate to secure a win from here. This is also one of the reasons why the Anupriya Patel-led Apna Dal (Sonelal) chose Nawab Haider Ali Khan as its candidate. In 2017, only two BJP candidates won from Bilaspur and Milak districts, two of the five Assembly seats of Rampur.

ABDULLAH DISQUALIFIED AS MLA

In December 2019, Abdullah Azam Khan’s stature as MLA was declared null and void by the Allahabad High Court, when certain discrepancies in his documents were found. The case was brought to notice by Nawab Kazim Ali Khan who had filed an election petition in the court. The former MLA from Suar filed a case against Mohammad Azam Khan saying Abdullah was underage to contest in the 2017 Assembly elections, and that he had two birth certficates and two PAN cards. On these ground, the Allahabad HC declared his membership as void, rendering him as a legislator for only 2 years.

FAMILY IN JAIL

There were several cases lodged against Azam Khan post 2017, when SP lost power to BJP. Among the 100 odd cases against the Rampur MP, cases of goat, hen and buffalo theft also find a mention.

In February 2020, the Rampur Additional District Judge had rejected the Khans' anticipatory bail and issued non-bailable warrants against Azam Khan, his wife Tanzeem Fatima and son Abdullah Azam Khan. Since then, Azam, along with his wife and son had been in Sitapur Jail. His wife walked out of jail in December 2020 after securing bail in all 34 cases lodged against her. Her son Abdullah Azam Khan was released on January 16, 2022 after securing bail in 43 cases lodged against him. Azam Khan however, remains in jail till date.

2012, A REIGN OF TERROR

Azam Khan’s political rivals contend that the MP worked like an autocrat in the city, ruthlessly crushing any dissent that came his way while building his Mohammad Ali Jauhar University. There are almost 80 cases of land grabbing lodged in Rampur against Azam Khan by his rivals, who say that the SP MP forcefully acquired the land under his NGO Jauhar Trust, a charge which the MP has always denied.

Kazim Ali Khan contended that there was no political rivalry between the Nawabs and Azam Khan before 2012. It was only after SP regained power in 2012 that the UP Cabinet minister went hammer and tongs against his rivals in his quest to establish his empire in the city.

ABDULLAH TO FACE A NEW CHALLENGE

Abdullah Azam Khan, who is out on bail, is most likely to contest from the Suar seat once again. This time he faces a challenge from his previous contender Kazim Ali Khan's son, Haider Ali Khan. After coming out of jail, he had a meeting with SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav. Most likely Abdullah Azam Khan will be fielded by the SP from the Suar seat once again. Abdullah might not have his father’s support this time as Azam is lodged in Sitapur Jail. 

AZAM VS BJP IN RAMPUR?

Azam might once again contest from the Rampur constituency, though the party is yet to make an announcement on this. At present, Azam’s wife Tanzeem Fatima is MLA from Rampur Sadar seat. She won the by-poll in 2019.

The MP who has been in jail since February 26, 2020, is sick ever since he contracted Covid-19. Azam’s rivals say that the ground reaction is against Khan and he will not be able to win anymore. Khan’s supporters are all charged up to secure his 10th Assembly win. The MP is yet to take a call on his contesting the polls.