Azam Khan's name removed from electoral rolls

Rampur: Trouble for Samajwadi Party leader Mohd Azam Khan does not seem to end.

Azam Khan's name has now been removed from the electoral roll in Rampur, weeks after he was convicted in a 2019 hate speech case.

The decision means that the senior SP leader will not be able to vote in the December 5 by-election in his traditional seat of Rampur.

The decision to remove his name from the list was taken by the Rampur Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) on a complaint by BJP's poll candidate Akash Saxena, who cited various provisions of law to seek the deletion of his name.

In its decision, the ERO said, "Along with the application submitted by the applicant (Saxena), copies of the judgment/order of the court and after considering the relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the name of Mohammad Azam Khan is suitable for striking off."

"Accordingly, the name of Khan should be immediately deleted from the serial number 333 of Vidhan Sabha 37-Rampur," it said.

Khan, who was Rampur MLA, was disqualified following his conviction last month in the hate speech case.