Will the release of Samajwadi Party’s founding member and prominent Muslim leader Azam Khan, after nearly two years in Sitapur jail, reshape electoral dynamics in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections?

Political analysts believe his freedom could revive the ‘Azam Khan factor’ in western UP politics — if the party and Khan’s supporters can turn years of legal troubles and incarceration into a compelling political narrative.

On Tuesday afternoon, the 75-year-old walked out of Sitapur jail after securing bail in the last pending case against him, which was related to alleged encroachment on a beer bar property. Police had tried to delay his release under the Enemy Property Act, but a Rampur court struck down the move on September 20. Khan was received by his sons, Abdullah Az

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