Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls: Asaduddin Owaisi begins three-day campaign tour; former BSP MP Atiq Ahmad joins AIMIM

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls: Asaduddin Owaisi begins three-day campaign tour; former BSP MP Atiq Ahmad joins AIMIM

Rashmi SharmaUpdated: Tuesday, September 07, 2021, 05:55 PM IST
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Jailed Mafia and former Lok Sabha MP Atiq Ahmad's wife Shaista Parveen(centre) along with her family arrives to join All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in presence of party chief Asaduddin Owaisi, in Lucknow on Tuesday. | ANI

Lucknow: With barely few allies left in the Bhagidaari Morcha formed by him for the coming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Asaduddin Owaisi began his three-day campaign tour of the state on Tuesday from Ayodhya. However, the All India Muslim Itehadul Musalmeen (AIMIM) of Owaisi got a shot in the arm on the first day of his tour with former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Atiq Ahmad joining him. Since Atiq Ahmad is in jail, his wife joined AIMIM in front of Owaisi. Atiq Ahmad sent a letter from jail announcing his joining of AIMIM.

Before addressing a rally of party workers at Rudauli in Ayodhya district, Owasi spoke to media in the state capital. He accused both Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of taking votes of minorities but not giving them proper representation in the power. Owaisi said that his party would contest on 100 seats in the assembly polls and give tickets to candidates from all communities. He said that both SP-BSP do not want Muslim leadership to emerge in this state. On dividing secular and minorities votes, Owaisi said that in the 2019 parliament election SP-BSP fought together but could not defeat BJP. Both these parties have failed to give an alternative to the people of UP.

Referring to Bhagidaari Morcha, the AIMIM leader said that his party is with Suheldeo Rajbhar Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and few other smaller outfits of dalits and backwards. He said that AIMIM would give tickets to dalits and backwards also.

When asked about the criminal past of newly inducted former BSP leader Atiq Ahmad in AIMIM, Owaisi said that there are plenty of such people in BJP. He said that 37 per cent of BJP legislators have criminal cases against them but nobody raise a question.

Owaisi addressed a rally of party workers in Ayodhya on Tuesday while on Wednesday he would be visiting Sultanpur. He will conclude his tour on Thursday at Barabanki after addressing a meeting there.

Meanwhile the visit of Owaisi was marred into controversy with the posters and banners displaying his programme in Ayodhya had the mention of old name Faizabad. This had irked the seers of Ayodhya and BJP leaders who had objected over it and demanded ban on Owaisi’s entry in the state.

Allies Leaving, Morcha In Peril

Ahead of UP assembly polls the joint front of various smaller political parties was formed in the name of Bhagidaari Morcha with AIMIM being a major constituent. However many of the allies in the front have left it and joined hands with Samajwadi Party now. Those remaining in the front too have been looking for other options. Mahan Dal, Janwadi Kranti Party of Bhagidaari Morcha has not decided to go with Samajwadi Party while dalit outfit Azad Samaj Party floated by firebrand leader Chandra Shekhar Ravan too has indicated the same. The SBSP and its leader Om Prakash Rajbhar though in the Bhagidaari Morcha but is avoiding sharing dais with Owaisi these days.

Owaisi Must Learn From Bengal

Samajwadi party leader and former minister Pawan Pandey said Owaisi must learn from Bengal where minorities did not go with him. He said that same would happen in UP also which has made its mind not to divide votes. He said that Owaisi comes to UP on a picnic and thinks can befool minorities here but this will not happen. Media convener of UP congress Lalan Kumar said that Owaisi is a tool in the hands of BJP which promotes him. He said that UP CM Yogi is giving weightage to Owaisi just because it suits BJP. According to political analyst Ram Kumar, people in UP have stopped taking Owaisi seriously due to his immature statements that only help BJP. He said that due to the hardliner image of Owaisi, AIMIM has become untouchable among all the major political parties in UP. Even the BSP, which had formed alliance with AIMIM in Bihar, is not ready to go with it in UP, said Ram Kumar.

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