'Rats abandon a sinking ship': Azam on leaders deserting SP

In the backdrop of a number of leaders and MLAs deserting Samajwadi Party, senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan today likened them to proverbial rats of the sinking ship, an expression that might cause embarrassment to the ruling party.
"When rats feel that the ship might have developed a hole and is about to sink...Rats are the first to desert it... (similarly) people who apprehend that they might be denied party tickets, they run away (from the party)," he said.
Khan was replying to a question about some SP leaders and sitting legislators switching over to other parties.
Recently Budhana MLA Nawazish Alam Khan left SP for BSP, while Gopalmau MLA Shyam Prakash, and Jalalpur MLA Sher Bahadur quit the ruling party and joined BJP.

Within hours of Khan's remarks, Congress asked people to take note of the "sinking ship" comment by a "seasoned politician".
"If he says SP is a sinking ship, people should take note of it," Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar said.

Earlier also Khan had made remarks that caused flutter in the SP camp and this time too Opposition parties are likely to use the comment to cause unease within the SP ahead of the Assembly elections.
Khan is not seen to be on the same page with SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on some issues, including on inclusion of Amar Singh in the party.

Sending Singh to Rajya Sabha on SP ticket and making actor Jaya Prada the Senior Vice-chairperson of UP Film Development Council have not gone down well with Khan.