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Former All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asim Waqar on Wednesday joined Congress in Lucknow in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai in the run-up to the 2027 Legislative Assembly elections.
Asim Waqar noted that a fight should be put up against the BJP, while claiming that AIMIM contested against the Congress and the opposition parties instead of challenging the BJP. Waqar said, "The objective of all those in India who love the country is to oust the BJP and form a secular government. However, when I was with the AIMIM, while it appeared from the top leadership that we were fighting the BJP, the reality on the ground was different; the battle was actually being waged against the Congress and the opposition." "I found this unacceptable, which is why I decided to join the Congress. There is a leader in Bengal named Humayun Kabir--whom I had accused of being a BJP agent, a claim supported by a sting operation revealing he was given Rs 1,100 crore. Once a Congress government is formed at the Centre, we will investigate who provided this money and where it went," he added. Waqar served as the national spokesperson of the AIMIM and a known face in Uttar Pradesh's political circles. The move comes as a setback for Asaduddin Owaisi and AIMIM. Congress, in alliance with the Samajwadi Party, is looking to make a comeback in Uttar Pradesh and eyeing a win in the 2027 elections. In the 2022 polls, the Congress managed just two seats out of the 399 contested. AIMIM could not open its account in 2022 and is looking to consolidate the Muslim votes and replicate its performance as in the Bihar elections in 2025. (ANI)
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