At a rally in Kanpur’s Babupurwa Idgah ground, Asaduddin Owaisi declared AIMIM would ally with any opposition party willing to block the BJP’s third term in Uttar Pradesh. He set a firm deadline of October 2, 2026, after which the party will announce its strategic partnership. The move comes as the 2027 assembly elections loom.
Owaisi didn’t stop there; he pivoted to the Samajwadi Party and their tenure, citing the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. He reminded the audience that about 50,000 Muslims were displaced when Akhilesh Yadav’s government was in power. The chief accused SP of neglecting minority protection and urged voters to back AIMIM instead. He warned that only AIMIM could give Muslims a voice in the assembly.
Opposition leaders have branded AIMIM the BJP’s ‘B‑team,’ a claim Owaisi flat‑out rejects. He argues that the opposition’s failure to field minority‑friendly candidates leaves Muslims underrepresented. He also cited a failed partnership attempt in Bihar, where the RJD dismissed the offer as ‘false allegations.’
The coming weeks will decide whether the alliance materializes. Opposition parties must deliver a counter‑proposal by October 2, 2026, or AIMIM will move forward with its own coalition. Political analysts say the outcome could reshape Uttar Pradesh’s electoral map ahead of the 2027 polls. The next state assembly election may hinge on whether the Muslim vote aligns with AIMIM or remains fragmented.