'Wait until October 2': Owaisi pitches opposition alliance in UP
What's the story
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has called for an opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh, saying his party does not want the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win a third consecutive term. "We have told all political parties, if you wish to stop the BJP from returning to power...come and join hands with the AIMIM," he said at a rally in Kanpur.
Election strategy
AIMIM to announce alliance partners on October 2
"Together, you and I will prevent 'Baba' from becoming the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh again," Owaisi said, referring to CM Yogi Adityanath.
Owaisi said the AIMIM will announce its alliance partners for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections on October 2.
"We will wait until October 2, and then, whoever we form an alliance with, we will announce it on that very day and contest the UP elections alongside them," he said.
The state elections are due early next year.
Past experiences
Owaisi slams rival parties
Owaisi also slammed parties that rejected his past alliance proposals, saying his repeated appeals should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness.
He cited the Bihar elections, where his proposal to contest six seats was turned down.
"You rejected my proposal during the Bihar elections, when we asked for six seats so we could contest together. But you mocked us and leveled false accusations against the AIMIM and me," he said.
The NDA swept the assembly elections last year.
Campaign strategy
AIMIM's campaign in Uttar Pradesh
The AIMIM has intensified its activities in Uttar Pradesh, focusing on constituencies and districts with sizable Muslim populations.
The party launched its 2027 campaign from Bahraich in June and is working to build an organizational network across about 200 assembly constituencies.
Owaisi has held rallies in several districts with large Muslim populations, including Matera (Bahraich), Najibabad, Saharanpur and Moradabad.