Lucknow: In a rare public appearance, senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan resurfaced in Lucknow this week, quietly checking into a hotel before meeting party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday. The reunion, marked by warmth and nostalgia, signaled a possible thaw after months of silence between the two heavyweights of the party.
Akhilesh Yadav shared pictures of the meeting on X, writing, “He came to our home today, bringing countless memories. This camaraderie is our shared legacy.” Azam’s son Abdullah Azam was also present, giving the meeting a touch of family and political symbolism.
The veteran leader’s visit was kept under wraps, with only a few insiders aware of his arrival. Soon, however, buzz spread across the political circles as senior SP leaders, including former minister Abhishek Mishra and former MLA Sibghatullah Ansari, were spotted at the hotel to meet him.
During his stay, Azam released journalist Haider Abbas’s book “Sitapur Ki Jail Diary” and later interacted briefly with reporters. Speaking candidly, he took a dig at the government’s decision to label him a “land mafia.” “I have been in politics for 50 years but do not own a bungalow in Lucknow. If I were a land mafia, I would have one. The house I live in at Rampur gets flooded every monsoon,” he said.
Azam also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remark about Bihar’s “katta culture.” “In our state, the son of a man who once sold kattas became an MLA and now moves around with commandos. In 1975, one who was caught with a katta drum became an MLA, and today his son holds the same seat,” he remarked wryly.
When asked about Bihar elections, Azam said he chose not to campaign there. “Only those who can fight wild beasts or have weapons went there. I have no security, so I stayed away,” he said, before adding, “Calling any state a jungle is an insult to democracy.”
Azam Khan’s sudden appearance and his meeting with Akhilesh have stirred speculation about a political realignment within the Samajwadi Party. For many in the party, the reunion is a reminder of an old friendship that once shaped the SP’s ideological and organisational core.
