Political stir intensifies in UP after Owaisi decides to contest Assembly polls

After allying with Bahujan Samajwadi Party in Bihar, Owaisi is eyeing the same in UP. After supporting the rebel BJP leader Omprakash Rajbhar, it is being believed that Muslim votes may go in Owaisi's fold harming Congress and Samajwadi Party. Owaisi has so far only formed an alliance with the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha, a political front that includes nine small parties, including Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and is demanding to fight on 100 seats.

Lucknow: After making his political debut in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, which, however, turned out to be unsuccessful, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has decided to contest the upcoming assembly elections in the state, which has created stir among political parties. After securing five out of 20 seats it had contested the 243 assembly seats in the 2020 Bihar elections, Owaisi is ready to play an active role in the politics of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh as well.

However, the RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal), which is in alliance with the Samajwadi Party, said that Owaisi will not have any effect in the politics of Uttar Pradesh as Muslims won't vote for Owaisi as they have understood that Owaisi works for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Congress, meanwhile, said that both Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Owaisi are preparing a pitch for communal polarization in the state which will be not be accepted by the people of the state.

After allying with Bahujan Samajwadi Party in Bihar, Owaisi is eyeing the same in UP. After supporting the rebel BJP leader Omprakash Rajbhar, it is being believed that Muslim votes may go in Owaisi's fold harming Congress and Samajwadi Party. Owaisi has so far only formed an alliance with the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha, a political front that includes nine small parties, including Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and is demanding to fight on 100 seats.

Masood Ahmed, state president of Rashtriya Lok Dal, which is in alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, said that Asaduddin Owaisi considers Uttar Pradesh as a laboratory of politics. Owaisi is not going to have any effect in Uttar Pradesh as Muslims have always stood with the Samajwadi Party and will continue to do so, he added.

READ:Adityanath's fight in Assembly polls is with widows, orphans: Owaisi

Senior Congress leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui also said that Owaisi and BJP are together. As far as Owaisi's entry into the politics of UP is concerned, it is not going to harm Congress as Muslims stand with them. While, chairman of the Minority Congress, Shahnawaz Alam, said that Owasi will have no effect on UP politics as Muslims in the state understand that Owaisi has not done anything for them and most of the people in UP are not aware of Owasi's party.

On the other hand AIMIM leader Wasim Bakar however, said that the party will definitely do well in Uttar Pradesh like Bihar. As far as Congress, SP and RLD are concerned, Muslims have tried them all. Now Muslims will stand with Asaduddin Owaisi and the party will perform well in the assembly elections.

In the last assembly elections, Asaduddin Owaisi's party had won 38 seats in the 2017 assembly elections. Although the results did not come in favour of Owaisi, the candidates got more than two lakh votes. Not only this, but the vote percentage of the party was also around 2.5 per cent. The special thing was that Owaisi's party got more votes than expected in Amethi and Rae Bareli. In such a situation, it can become a cause of concern for the Congress party.

Muslims dominate 130 seats in Bahraich, Balrampur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Rampur, Bijnor, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Sambhal, Hapur, Siddharthnagar, Baghpat, Pilibhit, Shravasti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Barabanki, Badaun, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Bulandshahr, There are about 130 Muslim-majority seats in Uttar Pradesh, including Lakhimpur Kheri and Amethi, which Owaisi is eyeing.

READ:Owaisi slams RSS chief, says hatred against Muslims emanates from Hindutva