LUCKNOW, Sept. 24 -- At 77, after nearly five years of incarceration and a long detachment from active politics, Mohammad Azam Khan remains a force to reckon with in Rampur and adjoining districts of the Rohilkhand region.

When Khan walked out of Sitapur jail on Tuesday, political parties watched closely, eager to gauge his next move. His release drew sharp reactions from leaders of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), fuelling speculation about its impact on state politics, particularly in the Muslim-dominated Rohilkhand belt where Khan has held sway for decades.

A 10-term MLA from Rampur and a one-term MP, Khan has dominated the region's politics since the early 1990s. His wife Tazeen F...