Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is seeking to consolidate Muslim support through the MY (Muslim-Yadav) combination and the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) formula, which brings together backward classes, Dalits and minorities. Meanwhile, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by Mayawati; the Azad Samaj Party, led by Chandrashekhar Azad; and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, are working to strengthen their presence among Muslim voters.
Amid this political contest, Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi has repeatedly raised the issue of alleged Muslim dissatisfaction with Akhilesh Yadav. He has also linked the issue to Yadav's proposed meeting with Azam Khan in Rampur.
What Did Maulana Shahabuddin Say?
Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, national president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was now travelling to Rampur to meet Azam Khan, who, according to the statement, had been in Rampur jail for 370 days.
Claiming that his pressure had forced Yadav to visit Rampur, the Maulana said, "The reality is that Akhilesh Yadav is under pressure from me, and because of that pressure, he has been forced to come to Rampur."
He said he had consistently raised Azam Khan's case on various platforms and maintained that Akhilesh Yadav had not stood by the senior Samajwadi Party leader during his difficult period.
According to Shahabuddin, Azam Khan had helped build the Samajwadi Party through years of hard work and was among its founding members. He alleged that Yadav was now compelled to meet Khan because the Assembly elections were approaching.
The Maulana claimed that Yadav's visit was intended to win over Muslim voters ahead of the polls.
'Azam Khan's Influence Has Ended'
Shahabuddin Razvi said Akhilesh Yadav was under a serious misconception if he believed Azam Khan could still influence Muslim voting patterns as he once did.
"There was a time when Muslims would follow what Azam Khan said. Now, no Muslim follows Azam Khan's words," he said.
He added that Muslims now voted according to their conscience and personal judgment and independently decided which candidate to support.
To support his argument, Shahabuddin referred to electoral outcomes in Rampur, Azam Khan's home constituency. He pointed out that Khan's opponents had won the Lok Sabha election in Rampur and that a political rival had become an MLA from the Rampur City Assembly constituency, which he described as Khan's own stronghold.
He also referred to the Swार Assembly constituency, where a BJP-backed candidate won in place of Abdullah Azam.
The Maulana questioned whether these results would have occurred if Azam Khan had retained his earlier political influence. He said Khan's supporters and family members had made every possible effort but had failed to defeat the BJP.
"That is why I am saying that Azam Khan's influence has now ended," Shahabuddin said.
Maulana Takes a Dig at Akhilesh Yadav's Jail Visit
Shahabuddin also criticised Akhilesh Yadav's planned meeting with Azam Khan in Rampur jail, alleging that the Samajwadi Party chief wanted to send a broader political message to Muslim voters.
He claimed Yadav was attempting to appeal to Muslims and win their support but asserted that voters would not be swayed by such efforts.
Referring to the reaction among Azam Khan's supporters and residents of Rampur, the Maulana said they were telling Yadav, "You have taken too long to arrive, my benefactor."
He further remarked that when Yadav left Rampur, he would be reminded of the couplet, "We left your doorstep with great honour."
Shahabuddin said the political circumstances of the past were different from the present situation. He claimed that Muslims were deeply dissatisfied with the Samajwadi Party and argued that Yadav's efforts would not translate into electoral gains in the Assembly elections.
With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, the Maulana's remarks have brought renewed attention to the competition among political parties for Muslim support and to questions surrounding the Samajwadi Party's ability to retain its established voter base.
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