Once again there has been a huge earthquake in the politics of Uttar Pradesh. Senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav reached the jail on Wednesday directly to meet the senior leader Azam Khan, who has been in jail for almost ten months. He had a long meeting with Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam for about an hour in Sitapur or related jail. After this, Shivpal went straight to Azam Khan's house and met his family, and then from there went straight to Johar University.
This visit of Shivpal Yadav to Rampur has given many big and deep indications about the politics of the upcoming 2027 assembly elections. After a long time, this meeting of a senior SP leader with Azam Khan is considered very important because Azam Khan has been in jail for a long time and his political activities have been limited. But the attitude shown by Shivpal after coming out of jail and the statements he gave have made it clear that the politics within the party regarding Azam Khan is going to heat up once again. He openly announced his support to Azam Khan and also shouted to take to the streets to save Jauhar University.
Shivpal got angry after the meeting, said this big thing
While speaking to the media after meeting in jail, Shivpal Yadav fiercely targeted the government and said that Azam Khan is being subjected to massive oppression and exploitation. Making very serious allegations, he said that such a big and powerful leader is being made to lie on the floor inside the jail, and what's more, he is not even being provided with decent clothes and basic medicines.
Shivpal Yadav made a big announcement and said that as soon as the Samajwadi Party government is formed in Uttar Pradesh, every atrocity committed against Azam Khan will be taken to account. He even said that in the coming time, Azam Khan will be made the Home Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the strictest legal action will be taken against the officers and people who perpetrated false atrocities and hatched a conspiracy against him.
Shivpal is hitting many targets with one stone
After meeting Azam Khan in jail and knowing about the well being of his family, Shivpal Yadav went straight to Johar University. There he met the Vice Chancellor, teachers and students of the university. He talked to people associated with the university for about half an hour. Political analysts believe that this entire journey of Shivpal is being linked to SP's strategy and youth politics. On one hand, the party has the old and strong Muslim support base of Azam Khan, while on the other hand, it has the 'PDA' politics of Akhilesh Yadav. Now this visit of Shivpal Yadav has sent a strong message to connect the students and the new generation (Gen-Z) with him. In the 2027 elections, the Samajwadi Party does not want to rely only on its old 'M-Y' (Muslim-Yadav) equation, but is also preparing to play its big bet on the new ground of youth votes. Recently, amid the controversies and student movements regarding Johar University, Shivpal's presence has become the biggest topic of discussion in political circles.
How big is the Muslim vote factor in the 2027 elections?
The impact of Muslim votes has always been decisive in the politics of Uttar Pradesh. If we look at the figures:
- Total seats in UP Assembly: 403
- Seats where Muslim voters have direct dominance: 143 seats
- Seats where Muslim population is more than 30%: 73 seats
- Seats where Muslim population is between 20% and 30%: 70 seats
- Total Muslim population in Uttar Pradesh: About 19.6%
Azam Khan's political influence and dominance, especially in western Uttar Pradesh, has always been very strong. In many assembly seats of areas like Rampur, Moradabad, Sambhal, Amroha, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Shamli and Muzaffarnagar, Muslim voters decide the victory or defeat, which is why this visit is being considered so special.