Former AIMIM spokesperson Syed Asim Waqar joins Congress; targets Owaisi-led party
Syed Asim Waqar, a former spokesperson for the AIMIM, has joined the Congress party. He criticized his former party for allegedly hindering opposition efforts against the BJP, arguing that the AIMIM's actions effectively support the ruling party.
Why it matters
This defection highlights shifting political alliances in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Syed Asim Waqar, former spokesperson of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), joined the Congress on Wednesday (September 2, 2026), alleging that the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party paid lip service to the objective of defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while fighting the Opposition parties on the ground.
Mr. Waqar joined the Congress at the party headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Uttar Pradesh Rajendra Pal Gautam, State Congress president Ajay Rai and AICC Minority Department chairman Imran Pratapgarhi.
Explaining his decision, Mr. Waqar said his years in the AIMIM had convinced him that a party seeking to remove the BJP from power could not simultaneously weaken those fighting the ruling party.
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