Uttar Pradesh by-polls: Fake polling agents allegedly working for Azam Khan’s wife detained in Rampur

The Uttar Pradesh police have detained seven fake polling agents from different booths in Rampur. These fake agents are believed to be working on behalf of the controversial Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan’s wife Tazeen Fatma.

According to the reports, the fake polling agents, who allegedly worked on behalf of Tazeem Fatma, were let off after an interrogation. The SP has fielded Azam Khan’s wife Tazeen Fatma as the candidate for the Rampur by-polls.

The by-election to the Rampur Assembly seat has become a prestige battle for Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Azam Khan and his party. Azam Khan, who resigned from the seat to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Rampur, has now fielded his wife for the by-polls of the assembly seat. Azam Khan’s wife Tazeen Fatma is currently Samajwadi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP.

Rampur is considered to be a fortress for controversial SP leader Azam Khan, who had won nine-terms from this seat and he is putting is all resources to retain the seat within the family.

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Azam Khan, who is an accused in several cases has not been arrested by the district administration considering he may get sympathy votes in the by-elections. The importance of the seat can be gauged from the fact that SP President Akhilesh Yadav campaigned only on this seat in the by-elections.

Several cases of land grabbing have been booked against Rampur MP Azam Khan. The Rampur Police in Uttar Pradesh had also booked him on allegations of ‘stealing goats’ following the complaint which was filed on October 2016.

It was first land-grabbing, then lion statues, followed by books and valuable manuscripts. He has also been booked for ‘stealing buffaloes’. Recently, the Rampur MP was also booked for electricity theft. The power supply to Azam Khan’s resort ‘Humsafar’ in Uttar Pradesh was cut after raids were conducted in the resort by the Uttar Pradesh electricity department.

For the Rampur by-polls, the BJP has fielded Bharat Bhushan Gupta as its candidate and is banking on the polarisation of votes against Azam Khan.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia