Owaisi, Azad form UP alliance

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad formed the Samajik Parivartan Morcha to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, projecting Azad as its chief ministerial candidate.

Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi and Nagina Member of Parliament Chandrashekhar Azad on Thursday announced the formation of the Samajik Parivartan Morcha, a political alliance to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with Azad projected as its chief ministerial candidate.

Announcing the alliance at a joint press conference in Lucknow, the two leaders said the initiative aimed to bring marginalised, deprived and weaker sections of society onto a common political platform and strengthen their representation.

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Owaisi said AIMIM would work collectively with its alliance partner for the welfare, development and political empowerment of Muslims and other disadvantaged sections. He said the partners would jointly address the concerns of people across Uttar Pradesh and evolve a common programme for their welfare.

Azad said the alliance was open to other political parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, if they were willing to join hands to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from retaining power in the State.

Rejecting the description of the grouping as a third front, Azad said the Samajik Parivartan Morcha was intended to emerge as the "first front" representing deprived and oppressed communities. He said the objective was to unite weaker sections and enable them to translate their numerical strength into political representation and influence.

Azad alleged that successive governments had failed to address poverty, social discrimination and atrocities against disadvantaged communities. He said the alliance would strive to bring these sections into the mainstream.

AIMIM has an electoral presence in Uttar Pradesh, and Owaisi commands support among sections of minority voters. Azad, who heads the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), has been seeking to expand his support base, particularly among young Dalit voters.