Azamgarh (Uttar Pradesh), Jan 25 (IANS): The Samajwadi Party has purchased a 4,374 square metre plot in Azamgarh to set up the office for its national president Akhilesh Yadav, who also represents the Azamgarh parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha.

The land has been purchased in Anwarganj and a political slugfest has begun on the issue.

The move comes barely 10 days after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi visited Azamgarh and mounted a blistering attack on Akhilesh Yadav.

According to Samajwadi Party district president, Hawaldar Yadav, the construction of party chief's parliamentary constituency office would start soon and is expected to be ready before 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls.

SP leaders, including Balram Yadav and Durga Prasad Yadav, said a grand party office would help expand the party base in Purvanchal and consolidate its vote bank ahead of the 2022 elections.

AIMIM district president Shaukat Ali Mahul, meanwhile, said, "This shows that SP is afraid of our leader Owaisi as well as our party after our good show in Bihar elections. This buying of land will not help SP in misleading voters, especially minorities. SP's vote base fell in 2017 and 2019 elections and minorities saved him. But he never did anything to keep his promise of 18 per cent quota to minorities. He remained silent on CAA, NRC and triple talaq issues. The non-minority vote base of SP has already shifted to BJP."

BJP district unit president Dhruv Singh also taunted the SP president.

"Building an office will not bring in votes. How many times has Akhilesh visited Azamgarh? The OBC votes have shifted from his party to the BJP and such tricks will not work," he said.