Akhilesh Yadav meets Azam Khan in Rampur, signaling SP’s bid to rebuild core base

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met party leader Azam Khan at his residence in Rampur. (ANI image)

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met senior party leader Azam Khan at his residence in Rampur on Wednesday, marking their first face-to-face interaction since Khan’s release from jail late last month. The meeting, lasting over two hour, is being viewed as a critical move to revive the SP’s traditional Muslim-Yadav unity that once anchored its political dominance in Uttar Pradesh.

After the meeting, Akhilesh declared that all the fake cases against Azam Khan will be withdrawn once SP comes to power in 2027.

Akhilesh’s visit comes after months of speculation over Azam Khan’s strained relationship with the SP leadership. Khan, one of the party’s founding members and among its most influential Muslim leaders, had distanced himself from active politics following his prolonged incarceration in several criminal cases. His supporters had often expressed resentment over what they described as the party’s lack of support during his legal troubles.

Wednesday’s meeting, therefore, goes beyond optics. It is a signal that Akhilesh is attempting to bridge internal divides and re-engage senior leaders ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Party insiders say Azam Khan had set clear terms for the meeting—he would only meet Akhilesh and not other SP leaders—an indication that while trust is being rebuilt, it remains fragile.

Political analyst Rajendra Kumar says the meeting is both symbolic and strategic. “Akhilesh’s decision to meet Azam Khan in person shows that he understands the emotional connect Khan has with SP’s cadre. This is not just about optics; it is about healing wounds within the party before it heads into a decisive electoral cycle,” he said.

The larger political context

The timing of the meeting is significant. The SP is currently navigating a delicate political phase after mixed performances in recent Lok Sabha and bypoll contests. With the INDIA bloc alliance showing strains, Akhilesh is recalibrating his party’s independent strength. Reconnecting with influential Muslim leaders like Azam Khan is seen as essential to regaining lost ground, especially in western Uttar Pradesh where the SP’s traditional support base has fragmented.

Political observers say the meeting underscores Akhilesh’s recognition that symbolic gestures can shape perceptions ahead of elections. By personally flying to Rampur, he sent a message to Muslim voters that the SP remains their political voice despite attempts by rivals like the BSP to woo this segment.

For Azam Khan, the meeting reaffirms his relevance within the SP fold. Though his political influence has waned, he continues to command loyalty among sections of the Muslim electorate and local leaders in Rampur and adjoining districts. His endorsement, analysts say, could help Akhilesh rebuild credibility among minority voters who have been exploring other options in recent years.

“Muslim voters have been feeling politically homeless in Uttar Pradesh,” noted Dr. Arvind Shukla, a political commentator based in Lucknow University. “The BJP’s polarisation strategy and the BSP’s quiet outreach to Muslim leaders have unsettled SP’s traditional equation. Re-engaging Azam Khan is Akhilesh’s way of reassuring the community that the SP remains their strongest political voice.”

Senior SP leaders described the meeting as a “personal and emotional reconnection” rather than a political negotiation, but insiders admit that its timing is strategic. “This is about resetting equations. The message is that the SP’s old guard is not being sidelined anymore,” said a senior party functionary.

Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met party leader Azam Khan at his residence in Rampur.

Azam Khan was released from Sitapur Jail on September 23 after being granted bail in all cases against him.

(Photo source: Akhilesh Yadav/X) pic.twitter.com/esQwcP7gk4

— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2025

With crucial bypolls and local elections lined up before the 2027 Assembly contest, the SP leadership appears intent on projecting a united front. The renewed engagement with Azam Khan also serves as a counter to the BJP’s narrative of internal discord within the opposition.

While the SP faces challenges from both the BJP and the BSP, Akhilesh’s outreach to Khan indicates a shift back to basics—reviving the core coalition of Muslims and Yadavs that propelled the party to power in the 1990s and early 2000s. Whether this reunion translates into tangible political gains remains to be seen, but for now, Rampur has become the stage where the SP’s rebuilding exercise has begun.

“The SP’s strength has historically depended on the Yadav-Muslim combine, but recent years have seen erosion in this alliance, particularly in western UP,” said Nomita P Kumar of Giri Institute of Development Studies. Lucknow. She says Akhilesh’s Rampur visit was crafted to signal both unity and loyalty — that no matter the setbacks, SP’s foundational pillars remain intact.

In essence, Akhilesh’s meeting with Azam Khan symbolizes a strategic reconnection of the party’s roots—a quiet yet decisive attempt to unify its traditional base and restore lost confidence among its most loyal supporters in Uttar Pradesh’s changing political landscape.