After meeting veteran Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan in Rampur district jail Thursday, party president Akhilesh Yadav said, “Azam they, Azam hain aur Azam rahenge (Azam was, is, and will remain),” sending a message to the incarcerated leader’s followers, especially among the Muslim community, that he continues to regard him as an enduring party face.

The SP chief had earlier visited Rampur to meet Azam in early October last year, soon after the latter came out of jail on bail. Their last meeting took place on November 7, 2025, when Azam visited Akhilesh at his residence in Lucknow .

Their Thursday meeting assumes additional significance with the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections just four months away, even though Azam’s influence in state politics has dwindled in the last five years during which he has faced scores of cases besides multiple convictions and jail terms.…