AIMIM spokesperson Shadab Chauhan confirmed that his party, led by Owaisi, would join hands with the Azad Samaj Party, headed by Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad. Screengrab: ANI
Owaisi and Chandrashekhar Azad set to announce alliance for 2027 UP polls
The proposed tie-up follows Owaisi's unsuccessful bid to join the SP-Congress seat-sharing arrangement
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) president Chandrashekhar Azad are expected to announce an electoral alliance for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections at a joint press conference in Lucknow on Thursday (November 12), party leaders said.
The proposed tie-up has fuelled speculation about a possible third front outside the BJP and Congress. The two parties are looking towards the nearly 41 per cent Dalit and minority vote bank in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP is seeking a record third consecutive term. The Samajwadi Party, meanwhile, is seeking to prevent the BJP from returning to power.
Details of tie-up unclear
The details of the proposed arrangement have not yet been made public. AIMIM spokesperson Shadab Chauhan confirmed that his party, led by Owaisi, would join hands with the Azad Samaj Party, headed by Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad.
"The nature of the pact and other details will be revealed on Thursday during the press conference to be addressed by AIMIM and Bhim Army leadership," Shadab told PTI over the phone.
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Owaisi and Azad arrived separately in Lucknow ahead of the announcement. Neither leader disclosed details of the agreement or the joint press conference, which is expected to take place at a hotel in Gomtinagar on Thursday afternoon.
"Whatever it is will be revealed before you," Azad said to queries on his party's alliance with the AIMIM, adding that their effort was to strengthen youth, farmers, weak and the marginalised.
"Will answer all your queries tomorrow," Azad said to persistent queries, adding that all that is required to ensure the rights of the poor are not trampled will be done.
Seat-sharing details yet to be revealed
It is still unclear how many seats the two parties plan to contest in the state with 403 seats. It is equally unclear if some other smaller parties could also be a part of the alliance.
The development comes after the main INDIA bloc parties in UP -- the Samajwadi Party and the Congress -- showed no interest in Owaisi's offer to include him in their seat-sharing pact for the UP polls.
Owaisi turns to third-front plan after INDIA bloc snub
A miffed Owaisi, whose October 2 deadline to the SP and the Congress to decide on his inclusion in the INDIA bloc did not find any takers, is now set to float a loose third front of sorts along with Azad's party in the UP polls, ostensibly to target minorities and Dalits, the two key vote banks who, along with OBCs hold the key to power in UP.
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While Owaisi may not have much electoral presence in UP, he does command influence in a section of the minority community, even as Azad's growing influence among young Dalit voters is potentially a cause of worry for both the BJP-led NDA and the SP-Congress-led INDIA bloc alliance in UP.