Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday, 22 October 2026, visited party General Secretary and founding member Azam Khan at Rampur District Jail in Uttar Pradesh, reaffirming the veteran leader's centrality to the party and holding discussions on the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The high-profile jail visit is the latest signal that SP intends to keep Azam Khan — and his substantial support base in western UP — firmly within its political fold ahead of what promises to be a fiercely contested state election.

Akhilesh's Assertion on Azam Khan

Speaking to reporters outside the jail, Akhilesh Yadav offered an emphatic defence of the jailed leader. 'Azam was, Azam is, and Azam will remain. No family has faced as much injustice as his family. No political family has faced as much injustice as the family of the respected Azam Khan Sahib,' he said.

Yadav alleged that the cases against Khan were fabricated and that the veteran leader had spent several years behind bars unjustly. 'False cases have been filed against him. He has spent so many years in jail,' he said, directing his criticism squarely at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also argued that the truth could not be suppressed indefinitely, saying: 'False cases do not have the power to keep someone imprisoned forever.'

Election Strategy at the Centre of the Meeting

Beyond the rhetoric of solidarity, the meeting had a clear electoral purpose. Yadav confirmed that the two leaders held a detailed discussion on the 2027 state polls and that a list of prospective alliance partners had been finalised. 'We had a lengthy discussion. A list of our alliance partners regarding the elections has been prepared, and I have brought that list with me after discussing it with him,' he said.

This is a notable development: it indicates that even from behind bars, Azam Khan continues to exercise political influence over SP's strategic decisions — particularly in the Rampur constituency, where the party maintains what Yadav described as an 'emotional bond' with voters that goes beyond conventional politics.

Sharp Attack on BJP

Yadav used the occasion to mount a broad offensive against the ruling party. He accused the BJP of lacking commitment to education, alleged that its leaders had aligned with corrupt officials, and charged the party with electoral malpractice. 'The BJP has no concern for education or knowledge. It has no interest in education or the universities that shape people's futures,' he said.

He also invoked the symbolism of Rampur's name — etymologically linked to 'Ram' — to argue that the spirit of Ram Rajya, or just governance, had been undermined in the district under BJP's watch. 'Rampur is a place with a name associated with Ram, yet the spirit of Ram Rajya is being strangled and destroyed here,' he said.

Background: Azam Khan's Legal Troubles

Azam Khan, a ten-time Member of the Legislative Assembly from Rampur and one of SP's most influential Muslim leaders, has been in custody in connection with multiple cases including land-grabbing, theft, and forgery — charges he and the SP have consistently denied as politically motivated. His imprisonment has weakened SP's grip in Rampur, a constituency the party once considered a stronghold.

This is not the first time Akhilesh Yadav has visited Khan in jail; the repeated visits underline both personal loyalty and a calculated political calculation as the 2027 election cycle approaches. With the SP aiming to unseat the BJP government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, consolidating minority and backward-caste support remains critical to its coalition arithmetic.

What's Next for SP's 2027 Campaign

The confirmed alliance list that Yadav has reportedly taken from the meeting suggests the party's pre-poll coalition-building is already underway — more than a year before the expected election schedule. Observers will watch whether Khan secures bail in any of the pending cases before the campaign heats up, a development that could significantly alter SP's mobilisation capacity in western Uttar Pradesh.