The Samajwadi Party’s Rampur candidate for the Lok Sabha polls, Maulana Mohibbullah Nadvi, on Friday said that he is hopeful of receiving support from the party’s veteran leader Azam Khan. Nadvi, who serves as the imam of the mosque adjacent to the Parliament House complex, expressed confidence that despite minor differences, all party leaders would rally behind him.
The candidature of Nadvi initially faced uncertainty when Azam Khan’s close aide Asim Raja also filed his nomination, claiming to be a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate. However, the election office rejected Raja’s candidature on Thursday due to technical reasons, confirming Nadvi as the official SP nominee for the Rampur Lok Sabha seat.
When asked about Raja’s candidacy and potential support from Azam Khan, Nadvi emphasized the familial nature of the Samajwadi Party, with Akhilesh Yadav as its head.
On the reasons for entering the poll fray, Nadvi said, “Maulana Azad used to come and pray in this mosque. He had also decided to serve the people of Rampur and he won the polls from there in 1952. This mosque is close to politics as political people come here, people of other religions also come.”
“This mosque has always given the message of peace, unity and brotherhood,” he said, adding, “This is the message I want to give out and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had discussions with me and asked me to disseminate this message among the people.”
Nadvi also highlighted his broad base of support, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians. He cited the historical significance of Rampur, known for its Hindu-Muslim unity and multicultural society, as a beacon for democracy and unity.
The Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be held between April 19 and June 1 across seven phases, and counting of votes will be held on June 4. The seven phases will cover 543 constituencies. Rampur goes to vote on April 19, 2024 in phase 1.