In the wake of Azam Khan's conviction in a hate speech case, the Rampur Assembly seat is up for a consequential by-election. Khan had endorsed his close confidante, Asim Raja, as a candidate. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party had also fielded Maulana Muhibullah Nadvi. Now, reports confirm that Asim Raja's nomination has been annulled.
Previously, Raja claimed on Wednesday that he was filing his nomination papers representing the Samajwadi Party. However, due to the absence of Form-A, Form-B, and Annexure 2, his nomination has been rejected. On the other hand, Maulana Muhibullah Nadvi has successfully filed his nomination from the Samajwadi Party. Raja had also previously asserted that he was the party's candidate.
Asim Raja has earlier contested the Lok Sabha by-elections from Rampur. Azam Khan was victorious in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Rampur. Subsequently, Khan contested and won the Assembly elections, choosing thereafter to resign from the Lok Sabha. In June 2022, during the Rampur Lok Sabha by-elections, Samajwadi Party nominated Asim Raja, who was pitted against BJP's Ghanshyam Lodhi. In a fierce contest, Ghanshyam Lodhi defeated Asim Raja by a margin of 42,048 votes.
Why Was Azam Khan's Membership Revoked?
Azam Khan allegedly made objectionable and incendiary remarks during an election rally in the Milak assembly of Rampur during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. BJP leader Akash Saxena filed a complaint regarding the incident. In this case, the MP-MLA court of Rampur, on 27th October, found Azam Khan guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment, subsequently revoking his membership.
