Owaisi, Azad tie up, to contest all UP seats to prevent BJP

In Uttar Pradesh, a new political front has taken shape in the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and Azad Samaj Party (ASP) on Thursday announced an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow on Thursday, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the alliance has chosen ASP chief Chandra Shekhar Azad as its chief ministerial candidate. The alliance between AIMIM and ASP will be referred to as the Samajik Parivartan Morcha (SPM) and announced plans to contest all 403 Assembly seats in the state. The AIMIM chief described the alliance as a strong political alternative and said it would focus on issues concerning Dalits, minorities, backward communities and other marginalised sections."I can say with confidence that this will be a strong alternative in Uttar Pradesh to stop the BJP from coming to power for the third time," Owaisi said. 

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Azad Samaj Party-Kanshiram President and MP, Chandrashekhar Azad and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi form 'Samajik Parivartan Morcha' for UP polls AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi says, "We have decided to form 'Samajik Parivartan Morcha'. I can say with confidence this will be a strong Morcha to stop the BJP from coming to power in UP for the third time."

— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2026

The merger of the two parties marks a major move in UP politics as they work to consolidate Muslim and Dalit votes in the state. Muslims account for around 20% of Uttar Pradesh’s population, while Dalits constitute approximately 21%. Alleging that the successive BJP governments had failed to improve the condition of marginalised communities, the ASP chief said promises made in the name of poverty eradication and social justice had not translated into meaningful change.
Chandrashekhar Azad said the alliance was not merely a 'Third Front' but a political formation aimed at bringing social change and representing marginalised, deprived, oppressed and exploited sections of society. "This is not a 'Third Front', but a front for social change. It is strong, and it will grow even stronger. As more people from the marginalised, deprived, oppressed, exploited, and downtrodden sections join, this front will become an even more formidable force for those who are oppressed, helpless, and exploited," he said. Owaisi and Azad have extended an invitation to the Opposition parties to join the alliance as part of their effort to remove the BJP government.