By Admin 
Before the 2027 assembly elections, the Muslim vote bank has once again come to the center stage in the politics of Uttar Pradesh. The activism of All India Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) national president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has increased the stir in the opposition camps. At present the question is not on how many seats Owaisi will contest, but on which party’s equation will be disturbed and whose strategy will change due to his entry.
It is claimed that AIMIM will contest elections on 200 seats. Amidst all this, the concern of other political parties in the state has also increased. The path is not easy not only for Congress and SP but also for Bharatiya Janata Party.
The National President of Congress himself told why Owaisi is difficult?
The biggest concern is being told to Congress. Congress fears that if Muslim votes are divided, its already weak support base may shrink further. Even in the 2022 elections, Congress did not get a large share of Muslim votes. In such a situation, if AIMIM fights strongly separately, then the political space for Congress may become more limited.
The statements of senior party leaders have been giving rise to the fear that Owaisi’s entry may harm the opposition unity. Expressing concern over the possible entry of Owaisi in UP, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had said that do not let him enter, otherwise he will destroy himself and destroy us too. When Kharge was saying this, Imran Masood, MP from Saharanpur in UP was also with him.
SP has hope from Owaisi?
The situation of Samajwadi Party is considered to be slightly different. SP claims that in the year 2022, it had got about 79 to 83 percent Muslim votes and this is its main social base. SP also adds the results of Lok Sabha elections to these figures. SP spokesperson Ashutosh Verma said in ABP News’ program Mahadangal that in the 2024 elections, the party has fielded four Muslim candidates – Afzal Ansari, Iqra Hasan, Mohibullah Nadvi and Ziaur Rehman. Everyone won.
SP hopes that even if the influence of AIMIM increases, there may be a possibility of coordination or alliance at some level. There is discussion in political circles that SP wants Muslim votes not to be divided, but to be kept in its favor through some compromise. Under this strategy, SP has also put forward a new face of Muslim leadership by including Naseemuddin Siddiqui, so that the void of leadership is not visible and the voters remain united. Let us tell you that on the question related to AIMIM, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had sarcastically said that if Owaisi comes to UP, he will come sitting on a bicycle.
Will AIMIM form alliance with BSP?
The name of Bahujan Samaj Party is also being added to this equation. AIMIM’s UP unit chief Shaukat Ali had claimed in a conversation with ABP News that the possibility of an alliance with BSP cannot be ruled out.
Although no formal response has come from BSP yet, this speculation remains a topic of discussion in political circles. If such an alliance is formed, it can have a direct impact on the Muslim vote equation of both SP and Congress.
Will Owaisi put thorns in the path of BJP also?
Difficulties are not only for BSP, Congress and SP but also for BJP. According to political analyst Vijay Upadhyay, although AIMIM is not a challenge for BJP, but if Owaisi’s party fields Hindu candidates in Muslim dominated seats where there are 30-40 percent Hindu votes, then the path will not be easy for the ruling party.
At the same time, AIMIM’s own challenge is also no less. The biggest problem facing the party is to avoid repeating its history. The party’s performance in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections was very weak. In 2022, AIMIM had contested elections on 95 seats, but faced defeat on all the seats and the deposits of 94 candidates were forfeited.
What preparations has AIMIM made for 2027?
The vote share was only 0.49 percent. Even in 2017, the party could not leave any significant impact. In such a situation, the challenge before AIMIM in 2027 is to remove itself from the image of just ‘getting votes’ and establish itself as an effective and organized political force.
Although AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi clearly said about contesting elections in UP that people are asking on how many seats he will contest, but before going to his grave he does not want to regret that he did not contest. While raising questions on the opposition parties, he also asked whether they themselves have been able to stop BJP by fighting.
For this purpose, AIMIM has started organizational fortification in UP. The party is emphasizing on booth level management and claiming that a village president will be appointed in every gram panchayat. A plan is being made to set up a grassroots network by forming 121-member committees, in which a large number of workers will contact door-to-door and handle booth management. The party argues that electoral success is not possible without a strong organization and this structure will become its real strength by 2027.
With this fortification of his, Owaisi can increase problems not only for Akhilesh Yadav but also for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Bharatiya Janata Party.