Is Congress Wooing Azam Khan? Swami Prasad Maurya’s Rampur Visit Sparks Political Speculation

New Delhi: Is the Congress seeking to bring veteran Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan closer to its fold? Political speculation has intensified in Uttar Pradesh following former minister Swami Prasad Maurya’s visit to Rampur and his meeting with Khan’s wife, Dr. Tazeen Fatma, on Sunday.

The speculation gained momentum after Maurya, who has also recently met Rahul Gandhi, publicly expressed solidarity with Azam Khan and criticised the Yogi Adityanath government over its handling of the senior leader’s legal troubles.

Maurya accused the state government of targeting Azam Khan out of “political vendetta,” calling its approach undemocratic. He said he stood with Khan during his difficult period and strongly condemned the government’s actions.

According to Maurya, political battles were once fought primarily on the basis of ideology, but Azam Khan has now remained behind bars for a prolonged period over what he described as relatively minor allegations. He termed the situation “dictatorship” and warned that such a precedent could eventually work against the BJP.

However, Maurya sought to play down speculation about any immediate political realignment. Asked whether his visit was linked to joining or negotiating with a political party, he said his purpose was simply to meet Tazeen Fatma and enquire about the well-being of Azam Khan and his son, Abdullah Azam.

He said meeting Azam Khan in jail was not possible as it was Sunday. Maurya also recalled his past association with the Khan family, saying they had stood together in the past and remained united, while insisting that he did not want to discuss politics during the visit.

Tazeen Fatma Denies Ticket Speculation
Tazeen Fatma also dismissed reports that she was seeking election tickets or discussing political arrangements during her recent political meetings.

She said Maurya had only enquired about the health of Azam Khan and Abdullah and that no discussion on politics or tickets took place during his visit.

Her comments come amid renewed speculation within Uttar Pradesh’s political circles over the Samajwadi Party’s relationship with the Azam Khan camp. A few days earlier, Fatma had visited Lucknow and met Akhilesh Yadav, triggering reports that discussions could be underway over candidate selection for assembly seats in western Uttar Pradesh.

Fatma, however, rejected such reports, saying media reports often have little connection with reality.

‘Release of Azam Khan Is the Priority’
On the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Fatma said the family was not thinking about electoral politics at present. Their immediate priority, she said, was securing Azam Khan’s release.

She also spoke about the conditions inside prison, saying they were not satisfactory and that Abdullah was coping with incarceration as expected.

For now, Maurya’s Rampur visit and his meeting with Fatma have added another layer to the political intrigue surrounding Azam Khan. While no formal political alliance or move has been announced, the sequence of meetings has certainly sparked fresh speculation about possible political equations ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections.