Outside its home turf of Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has the highest number of MLAs – two – in Maharashtra, largely due its state president Abu Asim Azmi, who has often been criticised for “running the party like his personal fief”.

Seemingly at the fag end of his controversial and tempestuous political career, Azmi faces probably his toughest electoral fight in his bastion of Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, one of Mumbai’s most underdeveloped and marginalised constituencies, as he not only faces challenging contender in former colleague and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Nawab Malik but also grapples with dissent from a section of his close associates.

The Maharashtra SP chief hit the headlines in the early 1990s after he was arrested under the stringent Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) on charges of arranging an air ticket to a man connected to the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. In 1995, after spending two years in jail, he was acquitted by the Supreme Court, thus paving his entry into politics. SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav appointed Azmi as the party’s Maharashtra president in 1995 keeping in mind his strong following among the north Indian Muslim community of Mumbai.

In its debut in Maharashtra in 1995, the SP won three seats but all the MLAs jumped ship subsequently, citing differences with Azmi’s leadership style. The trend has continued over the years as many more leaders have quit the SP citing Azmi’s “authoritarian approach”.

“It is hard to work with him, He is brash and no one with self-respect can tolerate the way he speaks to his subordinates,” a former SP MLA, who has quit the party, said.

Despite the several defections, Azmi managed to maintain a close relationship with Mulayam and was elevated to the Rajya Sabha in 2002. However, his first attempt at direct elections ended in defeat after he lost the 2004 Assembly elections to the Shiv Sena’s Yogesh Patil by over 30,000 votes. Five years later, he made a comeback, winning both Bhiwandi and Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, a seat he has held since.

Azmi’s tenure as MLA too has been fraught with controversies. In 2009, he was involved in a physical altercation with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) MLAs in the Assembly.

But this fiery rhetoric and brash style, earning him the reputation of being one of the most polarising figures in Maharashtra, is also the reason that Azmi continues to remain a significant force, especially among the large North Indian migrant community in the state. In these polls too, Azmi is banking heavily on this migrant population to retain Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar.

Despite his polarising demeanour, Azmi has been pivotal in expanding the SP’s footprint beyond Mumbai with his extensive tours across the state.

“He has elevated many individuals from obscurity to positions of power by making them corporators. People, especially Muslims and migrants from Uttar Pradesh see him as a beacon of hope during tough times. However, his leadership style is often marked by a reluctance to share decision-making power,” Shahid Kakkar, a former SP worker from Dhule said.

However, the entry of Malik, who has accused Azmi of letting drug trade flourish under his watch, has compounded his problems. “Those involved in drug trade here are often linked to the sitting MLA, with his own family members being under investigation for their role in drug rackets. This crisis has fueled widespread lawlessness in the constituency,” Malik recently said.

Another hiccup this time is Azmi’s fallout over organisational matters with fellow party MLA Rais Shaikh, the party’s progressive face and its candidate from Bhiwandi East.

The Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar MLA, who was disappointed with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaving just two of the 288 seats in Maharashtra for the SP, has fielded nine candidates against the coalition – comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) — as well as the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, in Muslim-majority constituencies across the state.

While analysts argue Azmi’s move may indirectly benefit the BJP in these seats by splitting the Muslim vote, Azmi remains resolute in his stance and claims his fight is against “fascist forces”.

“In the Lok Sabha elections, Sanjay Patil (of the undivided Sena) of the Sena UBT secured the lead from my constituency. The reason was that the Muslim vote was united against fascism. This time, the Mahayuti, unlike anywhere else, has fielded two candidates from my constituency to split the Muslim vote,” the SP state chief said, referring to the candidature of the Shinde Sena’s Suresh ‘Bullet’ Patil.