"We don't want Baba to become CM for third time": AIMIM's Shaukat Ali says Muslims suffered most under BJP rule

Speaking to reporters, Ali said the party does not want Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to become Chief Minister for a third term, alleging that Muslims have suffered the most under BJP rule.

"We have always wanted a strong alliance to prevent the BJP from forming a government in Uttar Pradesh. We do not want Baba (Yogi Adityanath) to become Chief Minister for a third term, as Muslims have suffered the most under BJP rule," Ali said.

He claimed that AIMIM had tried to form alliances with the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the INDIA bloc, but those parties did not agree.

"We tried to form alliances with the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the INDIA bloc, but these parties are now full of arrogance," Ali added.

Earlier, on Wednesday, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief Chandrashekhar Azad are likely to announce a political alliance in Lucknow today, ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

According to reports, the two leaders are expected to announce a joint press conference in the Uttar Pradesh capital. The proposed partnership is being viewed as an attempt to bring Dalit and Muslim communities onto a common political platform and build an alternative political formation in the state.

The proposed alliance assumes significance in view of Uttar Pradesh's electoral demography. Muslims constitute approximately 19 per cent of the state's population, while Scheduled Castes account for around 21 per cent. Together, these communities represent a substantial section of the electorate and could influence electoral outcomes in several constituencies.

Owaisi has been seeking to expand AIMIM's political presence beyond Telangana, particularly in states with a significant Muslim population. While the party has faced challenges in converting its vote share into Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, it has continued to position itself as an independent political voice for Muslim representation.

Meanwhile, Azad Samaj Party-Kanshiram (ASP-K) President and Member of Parliament Chandrashekhar Azad launched a scathing critique of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration in Uttar Pradesh, focusing heavily on systemic governance failures, rising unemployment, and economic distress. (ANI)