Azam Khan to leave SP, join BSP!

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan is likely to join the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Khan, the Muslim face of SP, is upset as he has been denied ticket from Rampur.

Insiders say that the SP leader is upset at the treatment meted out to him. Once a close confidante of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Khan has lately been ignored in the party.

His departure can be a big blow to Mulayam Singh, as several prominent Muslim leaders have expressed their dissatisfaction against the style of functioning of the party leadership.

At a recent election meeting in Rampur, he made caustic comments in frong of a huge audience against Member of Parliament (MP) Jaya Prada, a former movie star, who was sharing the dais with him.

With tears in eyes, Jaya Prada later tried to downplay the incident and said that Khan was like her elder brother. Azam Khan is unhappy with Amar Singh's growing influence in the party.

It is Amar Singh's support that Jaya Prada has got the party ticket from Rampur, say party sources. It is learnt that unless there is a major effort to placate him, Azam Khan may join Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party.

TIH Bureau