The much-needed colour in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, this time, will come from an unexpected corner when MP Jaya Prada takes on her arch rival Mohd Azam Khan, a senior Samajwadi Party leader.
According to sources in the Lok Manch, the party floated by former SP leader Amar Singh, Ms Jaya Prada will be fielded against Mohd Azam Khan to avenge the manner in which “he humiliated her in the last Lok Sabha elections”.
Lok Manch general secretary Arvind Singh said that the party had decided to field Jaya Prada against Mohd Azam Khan to stop “people like him from entering the state Assembly.” He said that the party would field Jaya Prada from whichever constituency Azam Khan decides to contest.
The Lok Manch leaders are reportedly tying to convince the BJP not to field a candidate against Azam Khan and extend their support to Jaya Prada instead.
Meanwhile, Mohd Azam Khan, claim SP sources, is no longer keen to contest from his traditional Rampur Assembly seat since the complexion of his seat has changed considerably after delimitation.
The veteran Samajwadi leader wants to shift to Moradabad Dehat which is a Muslim-dominated seat. Usmanul Haq , the sitting SP MLA from this seat, has been convicted in a murder case and is now in jail serving a life sentence.