Way ahead of the next Assembly elections which are in 2022, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi arrived in Lucknow on Wednesday to start the process of stitching up alliances with other parties in Uttar Pradesh.
Owaisi met Om Prakash Rajbhar, former state minister who heads the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), and he also mentioned that he will be meeting other political leaders too during this visit.
Talking to reporters, Owaisi said, "When two political leaders meet, you can guess what the topic of talks will be. I am meeting Om Prakash Rajbhar and will later be meeting Shivpal Yadav who heads the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL). Shivpal is a big name in UP."
When asked about the AIMIM victory in Bihar, Owaisi said the leaders like Om Prakash Rajbhar and others had helped him win seats in Bihar.
Replying to a question on West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegation of him being paid by the BJP to cut into minority votes, Owaisi replied, "Time will reveal the truth behind such allegations. Mamata Banerjee has been a part of the NDA and all I can say that there is no person born on this earth who can buy Owaisi."
Reacting to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's suggestion to change the name of Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar, Owaisi said, "I will not change any name in Uttar Pradesh."
Muslims in Uttar Pradesh make-up about 20 per cent of the total population due to which it plays an important role in bringing any party to power. Currently, the majority of Muslim votes are split between Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and Congress. But the entry of AIMIM will further split Muslim votes.
