As Azam Khan tries to pull strings from prison over the candidate list, tug-of-war puts SP in West UP in danger. Fumes from Akhilesh

With an incarcerated Azam Khan attempting to dictate strategy from Sitapur prison and candidates being moved about at the last minute for two crucial Lok Sabha seats—Moradabad and Rampur—a severe divide has opened up inside the Samajwadi Party in Western Uttar Pradesh. This has caused tension between Khan and Akhilesh Yadav, as well as upset expressions.

On March 22, when Khan and SP head Akhilesh Yadav met in Sitapur Jail, trouble started. Khan allegedly made two demands: Akhilesh Yadav should run from Rampur and the incumbent MP, ST Hasan, must be removed from Moradabad. Khan was ejected from the race, and the BJP went on to win the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in a by-election.

However, Yadav did not quite agree with Khan. Hasan submitted his candidacy and SP formally named him as their Moradabad candidate last Monday. Following Khan’s outburst, the SP abruptly changed their candidate on Wednesday, and Khan’s close ally Ruchi Veera submitted her candidacy from Moradabad using the official SP emblem. Hasan, who is furious, told News18 that he feels “humiliated” and that the SP leadership did not deliver the formal letter of support until Wednesday at 3 p.m., the deadline for submitting nominations for Phase-1 seats.

There was more drama ahead in Rampur, where the SP nominated Delhi Imam Mohibullah Nadvi as their candidate, defying Azam Khan’s demands for Akhilesh or his close friend Asim Raza to contest in the poll. According to the Khan camp, he is the one who selects the candidate from Rampur every time. Raza and Nadvi have already submitted their nominations, and the local SP unit—which includes the district chairman and the current Rampur MLA—has declined to endorse SP in the election. Additionally, they have released a statement supporting Khan’s call for a “boycott” of the Rampur polls.

Additionally, the SP has declared Deepak Saini as their candidate in Bijnor instead of Yashveer Singh. The BJP nominated Arun Govil for Meerut, and the party intends to replace him.