Realignment in SP: Amar back in Mulayam fold, Azam in a sulk

Lucknow: There are hints of change in equations within the Samajwadi Party. Azam Khan, the party’s controversial Muslim face, could be on his way out or in the process of being rendered redundant. His arch enemy, Amar Singh, may well be making his way back into the party. These are early days yet, but it appears the beleaguered Mulayam Singh is re-jigging his friends. Estranged friends Mulayam and Amar Singh on Tuesday shared the stage during the inauguration of a park in Lucknow, triggering speculations about a possible rapprochement between the two. Conspicuous by his absence at the function was Urban Development Minister Azam Khan. [caption id=“attachment_1651247” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav exchanges greetings with party’s expelled leader Amar Singh at the inauguration of Janeshwar Misra Park in Lucknow on Tuesday. PTI [/caption] More than the park, SP workers and the media were drawn to the programme by the news that Mulayam had a day ago invited Amar Singh to the inauguration ceremony and that Amar Singh had accepted the invite. A huge crowd, estimated at more than 10,000, had collected at the park since morning. Amar Singh arrived a little after Mulayam and Akhilesh. Mulayam exchanged greetings with Amar from his seat while Akhilesh exchanged a few words with him. But no SP leader other than senior minister Shivpal Singh Yadav went close to Amar Singh. In fact, Shivpal sat next to Amar Singh on one side of the stage and continued chatting and laughing with him throughout the programme. The political signals about Azam Khan’s annoyance had started emanating a day earlier when, despite being one of the chief guests at an Urdu award programme held at chief minister’s residence, the former did not turn up. A few hours ago, the state government had announced the deferment of Shia Waqf Board elections as demanded by Shia cleric Kalbe Jawwad, sometime after Jawwad’s meeting with Mulayam. Azam was known to be against this since Jawwad had been publicly alleging irregularities in the board at the behest of Azam. The Shia-Sunni discord was said to be behind this controversy. Later on Monday, Azam Khan talked to a few mediapersons in Lucknow and reacting to the invitation to Amar Singh, expressed concern that he might be “thrown out” of the party once again. Azam and Amar Singh have been at loggerheads for more than five years now. In May 2009 Azam resigned as SP general secretary before the Lok Sabha election over the issue of his opposition to Jayaprada as Rampur candidate but basically against growing clout of Amar Singh and the induction of Kalyan Singh into the party. However, the SP fared badly in the election and forced the SP supremo to revoke Khan’s expulsion and in December 2010 he was taken back into the party. After the 2012 assembly election that gave a massive mandate to SP, Azam Khan was initially reluctant to join the ministry when it was clear that Akhilesh Yadav would head it, but he relented. On 25 July 2012, Azam offered to resign after being removed as minister-in-charge of Meerut. His absence from the SP national executive meeting in Agra in September last year led to speculation as it was rumored that he was unhappy over the handling of the Muzaffarnagar riots. Azam Khan has had his way as a senior minister in the Akhilesh government be it the appointment of senior officers in his ministries as well as in Rampur, marginalization of other Muslim leaders, selection of candidates in the Rampur region for all elections, construction, government grant and recent approval as minority institution to his Jauhar University in Rampur, and his allegedly inappropriate utterances during the Lok Sabha campaign earlier this year. However, a section in the SP has not been too comfortable with the ways of Azam Khan. “Despite his insistence on being portrayed as the sole Muslim face of the party, he could not help the party win a single seat for which he had selected the candidates. On the other hand his comments alienated the entire Hindu community from the party. What is the point in giving him so much importance?” said a SP leader requesting anonymity. He, however, hastened to add that he was not saying because of Azam Khan being a Muslim. Azam Khan has emerged as a polarizing figure but it has not helped SP get any Muslim votes. Now, with reports that a section of Muslims had actually warmed up to Narendra Modi’s appeal, the limits of using Azam Khan as a Muslim leader had been stand exposed. On the other hand, Amar Singh’s networking skills in political parties and corporate are widely known despite his prolonged sojourn in the political wilderness. After quitting SP he floated his own party Lok Manch which proved a damp squib in the 2012 Assembly elections. It was followed by his illness and prolonged treatment. Just before the Lok Sabha election, he and Jayaprada joined Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal and both contested unsuccessfully from Fatehpur Sikri and Bijnore, respectively. It was reported that Amar Singh had tried to get back into the Congress last year but the party had said ’no’ to Jayaprada, so he also refused the offer, and moved to RLD. The SP is struggling with a massive public resentment against uncontrolled crime, especially against women, and growing incompetence of the government and the police. Even sympathetic parties like the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (U) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have been reluctant to openly side with the SP on many issues. Mulayam Singh Yadav’s health has also been a cause of some concern, and the party would be happy with some solid networking now. “Even Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) knows this and hence his invitation to Amar Singh, who may prove useful in bringing in Thakurs and others from eastern UP closer to the SP,” explained the SP leader. During his short speech at the function, Amar Singh referred to his political isolation and recalled his friendship with Mulayam, adding that although Janeshwar Mishra did not like him, he always had high regard for Mishra. As for Amar Singh, his membership of Rajya Sabha is coming to an end in November and he needs to get the support of a major party to continue there. Hence his keenness to return to SP fold. Last year, at a public meeting while rebuking Akhilesh for his government’s functioning, Mulayam had referred to a former “well-wisher” who got things done. Both Amar Singh and Mulayam have never publicly criticized each other and even Akhilesh has not said anything against Amar, whom he fondly remembers as ‘Uncle’.