Putting forward a condition for an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi has said his party is ready to join hands with SP if it makes a Muslim as Deputy Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh.
Owaisi’s AIMIM has allied with Om Prakash Rajbhar-led Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha – a union of smaller parties like Bharatiya Vanchit Samaj Party, Bhartiya Manav Samaj Party, Janata Kranti Party (R) and Rashtra Uday Party.
Earlier this month, AIMIM leader Asim Waqar had said that Deputy CM’s post across the states should be reserved for Muslims and asked Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) to clear their stand over this issue.
He further said that Om Prakash Rajbhar wouldn’t say no to this demand.
Akhilesh had recently said that his party will form an alliance with small political parties.
Taking a dig at the SP chief, BSP supremo Mayawati said that his party’s working style and anti-Dalit ideology had forced it to ally with smaller parties.
Calling Samajwadi Party “helpless”, Mayawati said that its anti-Dalit approach had made all major parties stay away from it.
Mayawati has already ruled out any alliance with AIMIM saying that BSP would go solo in Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, according to the IANS C-Voter tracker, the BJP is projected to win 289 seats in the 403-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly in March 2021, down 36 from the 2016 election.
The Samajwadi Party is projected to be the second-largest party with 59 seats followed by the BSP with 38 seats.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh had met Akhilesh Yadav recently triggering speculation about a tie-up ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections next year.
However, both the leaders refused to divulge details of the meeting.
