Lucknow: After being ditched by Abbas Siddiqui in West Bengal Asaduddin Owaisi, President of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), rushed to form pre-poll alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
Asaduddin Owaisi, who is also MP representing Hyderabad in Parliament, held a long meeting with Shivpal Yadav – estranged uncle of Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav.
Asaduddin Owaisi and Shivpal Yadav met in Azamgarh and explored the possibility of alliance between All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL).
The occasion was a wedding in the family of AIMIM Uttar Pradesh Chief Shaukat Ali and both leaders were there to attend the wedding.
"Shivpal and Owaisi had a lengthy discussion, apparently on the political situation and possible alliances. Their respective security personnel kept others away from where they were seated. Both the leaders did not talk to the media," said one of the guests at the wedding.
Shivpal, later, side-tracked queries on what had transpired between them, but reiterated his call to all like-minded and secular parties to unite to defeat the BJP.
Shivpal said:
"I have also asked Akhilesh for formation of an alliance. All family members and Samajwadis should join hands if we want to defeat the BJP."
However, he ruled out the PSPL merger with the SP.
Sources, meanwhile, said that the two leaders had decided to formalize their alliance and seat sharing after the Panchayat elections.
Meanwhile, eyebrows are raised over absence of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) Chief Om Prakash Rajbhar in the merting. Owaisi and Rajbhar had about a month before alliance for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Om Prakash Rajbhar howver downplayed the speculations over his absence saying he got late because of some “pre-scheduled party events” and hence could not attend the meeting.
"I got late due to pre-scheduled party events and could not reach Azamgarh to attend the wedding. But, our efforts of bringing like-minded parties under one umbrella are continuing”, he said.
“It is evidently clear that even SP and Bahujan Samaj Party cannot defeat the BJP alone and hence we are keeping options open for them too for joining our front -- the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha”, he added.
“The outcome of these efforts will be clear after the Panchayat polls”, Rajbhar said.
Soon after elections in Bihar where AIMIM had won five seats, Asaduddin Owaisi had tried to form an alliance with Abbas Siddiquee of Furfura Sharif, West Bengal. Siddiqui however ditched Owaisi after being cajoled by Congress and Left.
While West Bengal is likely to see state polls next month, Uttar Pradesh could go to elections in 2022 when the five-year term of the state assembly ends.
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