Rampur: The Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Wednesday filed an appeal in the Rampur district and sessions court challenging the order convicting him in a hate speech case.
The development comes after the Supreme Court during the day directed the lower court to hear and decide on Thursday itself the appeal of Khan seeking a stay on his conviction so that he survives disqualification as a lawmaker.
The Supreme Court said the Election Commission can issue the notification for the bypoll on or after November 11 once the sessions court decides on Khan’s plea, reports news agency PTI.
On October 27, Khan was sentenced to three years of imprisonment in the 2019 hate speech case. The SP leader had then moved to the Supreme Court against his disqualification.
The MLA was disqualified as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly following his conviction and the Rampur Sadar Assembly seat was declared as vacant.
According to the report, the EC has already announced a bypoll in the Rampur Sadar constituency along with some other assembly seats and the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat on December 5.
The apex court today directed the election body not to issue till November 10 the notification for the assembly bypoll in the Rampur Sadar seat.
The EC can issue the notification for the bypoll on or after November 11 once the sessions court decides on Khan’s plea.
The SP leader was also granted an interim bail by Rampur district and sessions court today in the case till November 16.
