UP polls and the fight for Muslim votes: Decoding SP, Congress's Owaisi problem
Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM is seeking alliances with opposition parties for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections to avoid being labeled a BJP 'vote-cutter'. However, his efforts face challenges following the defection of key aide Syed Asim Waqar to the Congress party.
Why it matters
The political maneuvering in Uttar Pradesh significantly impacts the electoral prospects of major parties and the overall outcome of state assembly elections.
"I am ready to join hands. I am ready to form an alliance. Today is the time to talk. Don't cry later after the elections are over. We don't want the BJP to come to power again.”That was Asaduddin Owaisi's outreach-cum-warning to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in July at a rally in Moradabad while he launched AIMIM’s campaign for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections due early next year.Seeking alliance with opposition parties is now a part of Owaisi’s playbook to counter allegations of being a vote-cutter and the B-team of the BJP. We have seen AIMIM adopt similar strategy in other states like Maharashtra and Bihar. In both these states, it went all out to seek space in larger opposition alliances before deciding to contest on its own when its offer was rejected.
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