Long discussed in political circles, the alliance between All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and the Azad Samaj Party (ASP) for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections was confirmed on Wednesday.
AIMIM spokesperson Shadab Chauhan confirmed the development, saying, “There will be a joint press conference by Asaduddin Owaisi and Chandra Shekhar Azad at a prominent hotel in Lucknow on Thursday (November 12), where the announcement will be made about our alliance for the 2027 UP assembly polls. He is going to Ayodhya on December 12, but has he taken permission from senior SP leaders like Azam Khan who have been part of the Babri Masjid Action Committee? The formal number of seats on which our alliance will contest will be announced at the joint press conference,” Chauhan added. The AIMIM spokesperson also launched a sharp attack on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. He has nothing to do with Dalits and Muslims, else he won’t have sent (Dhanraj Parimal) Nathwani to Rajya Sabha.
The press conference will be addressed by AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party chief and Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Azad. The alliance is expected to focus largely on Muslim- and Dalit-dominated constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh and the Rohilkhand region. It will be interesting to see whether the alliance, despite both parties being relatively smaller players in UP politics, manages to dent the Samajwadi Party’s minority vote bank, thereby benefiting the BJP as a potential vote-splitter. “Our primary focus will be on Dalits and Muslims as they are the ones most harassed, regardless of which government is in power. We will ensure they receive proper respect, rights and political representation as well. “Akhilesh Yadav has his own PDA — Pariwar of Dhanwan and Akhilesh. Is he trying to prove them wrong? Or does he want to justify the demolition of the Babri mosque by VHP and BJP, which was a criminal act? Chauhan asked. Chandra Shekhar Azad, the sitting MP from Nagina, has been working to expand the ASP’s footprint among Dalits, particularly younger voters, at a time when the Bahujan Samaj Party’s influence has weakened. He has organised several rallies and is preparing a major show of strength in Lucknow to project the ASP as a credible alternative in Dalit politics.
He said the alliance would primarily focus on Dalits and Muslims. Reacting to the development, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “People of Uttar Pradesh have made up their mind in favour of the Samajwadi Party this time.
Owaisi has been intensifying his outreach in Muslim-dominated areas and had previously expressed interest in aligning with larger Opposition fronts, though those efforts did not materialise. The formal announcement, including the number of seats the two parties will contest, is likely to be made at a joint press conference in Lucknow on Thursday.
