UP Bypolls: Azam Khan's bastion crumbles as BJP wins Rampur Sadar assembly seat for first time
Rampur (UP), Dec 8: The BJP on Thursday won the Rampur Sadar assembly seat for the first time as its candidate Akash Saxena defeated his nearest Samajwadi Party rival Asim Raja by a margin of 33,702 votes in a bypoll.
The bypoll to the Muslim-dominated Rampur Sadar seat, considered an Azam Khan stronghold, was necessitated after the senior SP leader was sentenced to three years in jail in a hate speech case, and subsequently disqualified as MLA and barred from contesting polls for six years.
Reacting to the result, Asim Raja questioned the fairness of the election process, claiming police "did not allow people to cast their votes in the city and looted booths".
"There was only 20 per cent polling on booths in the city. Police had captured booths. Over two lakh voters were not allowed to cast votes. In areas where there was an SP booth (area where the party thought majority of voters were its supporters) were looted. We have made a complaint to the EC," he alleged.
Winning BJP candidate Saxena said the people of the constituency including Pasmanda Muslims voted for the party. He thanked people for showing faith in the BJP.
This is the first time the BJP has won the Rampur Sadar assembly seat.
Coming as it does just months after the BJP's victory in the June by-poll to the Rampur Lok Sabha seat, the result means Azam Khan's hold over the electorate in the region, considered his bastion, is waning.
Saxena was handed over the winners certificate by the Returning Officer.
The bypoll to the seat, held by Azam Khan since 1980, was conducted on December 5.
In the general assembly polls earlier this year, Khan had registered a convincing victory, defeating Saxena by around 55,000 votes to win the seat for a 10th time.
The senior SP leader had conducted a strong campaign in the by-poll, which many linked to his prestige.
It is from this seat that Azam Khan reached the Uttar Pradesh assembly for the first time in 1980 on a Janata Party (Secular) ticket.
Later, he was elected on a Lok Dal ticket in 1985, from Janata Dal in 1989, Janata Party in 1991 and Samajwadi Party in 1993.
Although he had to face defeat at the hands of Afroz Ali Khan of the Congress in the 1996 assembly elections, Khan wrested the Rampur Sadar seat in the 2002 assembly elections, and won all subsequent polls -- 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2022.
After winning the Rampur Lok Sabha elections in 2019, he resigned as MLA. His wife Tazeen Fatima won the assembly by-election held in October 2019 on a SP ticket.
In this by-election, the SP fielded Asim Raja, considered close to Khan who sought votes from the public through an emotional appeal when he referred to the "atrocities committed" on him.
The SP had demanded the cancellation of the Rampur by-election, alleging the administration there did not allow pro-SP voters to cast their votes.
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UP court rejects plea seeking Rahul Gandhi's voice sample in defamation case
Sultanpur (UP) (PTI): A local MP/MLA court on Saturday rejected a plea seeking a voice sample of Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed by a BJP functionary against the Congress leader, and posted the matter for next hearing on May 11.
The plea, filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra through his counsel Santosh Kumar Pandey, had sought Gandhi's voice sample for a forensic test to compare it with an audio clip.
After the petition was dismissed, Pandey said they would file a revision plea before the sessions court against the order.
The court rejected the plea after hearing the arguments of both sides, including Gandhi's counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla.
The matter dates back to 2018 when Mishra, a local BJP leader, filed a defamation suit over Gandhi’s alleged objectionable remarks targeting Amit Shah while campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections.
After five years of legal proceedings, the court issued a warrant against Gandhi in December 2023.
The Rae Bareli MP surrendered before the court in February 2024, and was granted bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each by a special magistrate.
On July 26 last year, the Congress leader recorded his statement before the court, claiming innocence and calling the case a political conspiracy.
Earlier this year, multiple hearings were postponed due to a strike by lawyers and the ill-health of Gandhi’s counsel.
