When former Indian skipper-turned Congress MP Mohammad Azharuddin was shifted from Moradabad in western Uttar Pradesh to contest parliamentary polls from a seat in Rajasthan, he took to cricket to explain that one should never expect a “batsman-friendly wicket” always.

The crafty batsman is using his patience and grit, exhibited many a times to steer odds in his favour, for tackling the turning political wicket dominated by the Meenas and the Gujjars.

What perhaps eases him is that a large chunk of the electorate also belong to the Muslim community and his wife and former actor Sangeeta Bijlani and son, Mohammad Asaduddin, are assisting him in his battle.

Pitched against BJP’s Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria, an unfazed Azhar attacks Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje during his mass contact programmes for “stopping pro-people schemes launched by the previous Congress government”.  
  
Sharing his campaign strategy with Deccan Herald, Azhar counters the charge of being an outsider by saying that the Constitution allows anyone to contest from any state and believes its a “tough battle” and denied that there is a “Modi wave”.

The opponents, however, have one thing in common–they do not belongto this constituency. The cricketer-turned-politician, however, resents the charge that he had to move out of his previous seat as he had failed to perform.

On how people connect with him, Azar said: “The shy people of this region want someone who can get them development and not politics. Other than that, the youngsters connect with me immediately because of my past. They feel that I will play with them and I am keen to open an academy if voted to Parliament.”