Lucknow, Jul 13 (IANS): Senior Samajwadi Party leader Mohd Azam Khan, after along stint in jail and a spell of ill health, is now getting back to work.

Azam has started picking up the threads of life and is fulfilling his political commitments, much to the relief of his supporters.

Azam was among the first political leaders to visit Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar when the latter was attacked in Saharanpur.

He was accompanied Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav to Malihabad on Tuesday for a mango feast, along with his son Abdullah Azam.

Before leaving for Malihabad, Azam had spent more than two hours with Akhilesh at the party office in Lucknow, discussing in detail political issues, particularly those concerning the opposition alliances and strategy for the Lok Sabha elections.

Azam has also been regularly meeting party leaders and workers in Rampur and preparing the ground for 2024 polls.

He had been away from party politics since February 2020 when he, along with wife and son, was sent to jail for a forged birth certificate filed by his son. Thereafter, he suffered from health issues and was then disqualified from the membership of state assembly, following his conviction in a case.

Azam's return to "active participation" in party engagements is being seen as SP's attempt to send a message to Muslims that the party has not deserted Khan, as was being claimed earlier.

Moreover, Azam's return also completes the party's formula of PDA -- "pichade, Dalit, alpasankhyak".

Akhilesh, in his meetings, has been saying 'Alpsankhyak Muslim Bhai" while defining the PDA.

Party leaders, however, dismiss the reports that Azam has suddenly gained importance in SP.

"He has always been an important part of the Samajwadi family and he was forced to stay away due to circumstances. His importance in the party remains unchanged," said a leader close to Akhilesh.