Azam Khan coming back to Samajwadi Party?

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh, who has been trying to regain his Muslim support base, on Tuesday hinted that he was ready to take back the former Uttar Pradesh Minister, Mohammed Azam Khan in the SP.

Describing Mr. Khan as a “comrade-in-arms during the days of struggle” [ sangharsh ka saathi ] and “founder-member of the party,” Mr. Singh told journalists here that the SP was in touch with him and suggested that obstacles to his comeback were cleared.

However, the SP president refused to take a question on the former general secretary, Amar Singh, and actor Jayaprada, who have been ousted from the party and have since challenged the provisions of the anti-defection law on disqualification of expelled MPs.

Once described as the ‘Muslim face' of the SP, Mr. Khan was expelled from the party before the 2009 Lok Sabha polls for questioning Mr. Mulayam Singh's move to align with the former Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Kalyan Singh, who was Chief Minister when the Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992. Mr. Khan also opposed renomination of Ms. Jayaprada in Rampur in the Lok Sabha polls. Rampur is Mr. Khan's hometown and his request that he be given ticket to contest from the constituency was turned down by Mr. Mulayam Sigh and Mr. Amar Singh.

Muslims deserting SP

Muslims in large numbers drifted from the SP in the Lok Sabha polls following Mr. Mulayam Singh's alliance with Mr. Kalyan Singh. The trend continued in the subsequent Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections. The defeat of Mr. Mulayam Singh's daughter-in-law, Dimple Yadav, at the hands of SP rebel-turned Congressman Raj Babbar in the Lok Sabha by-election from Firozabad proved a big setback to him.

Mr. Mulayam Singh tried to make amends by apologising to Muslims for taking Mr. Kalyan Singh on board and later severing all ties with him, but it seems this action cut no ice with the minority community. Recently, he again tried to play the Muslim card, saying “Muslims were feeling cheated by the Allahabad High Court judgment on the Ayodhya title suits.”

The moves to bring back Mr. Azam Khan began some time back, with SP sources claiming that he was inclined to return but wanted an honourable passage. In fact, Mr. Khan, talking to The Hindu early this month, did not condemn Mr. Mulayam Singh for his remark that Muslims were feeling cheated by the court verdict and said the former Chief Minister only expressed the feelings of the common Muslim.