AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi meets SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, triggers speculation about alliance for UP assembly polls

LUCKNOW: Encouraged by his party’s performance in the recently concluded assembly election in Bihar, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi met Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar at a hotel in Lucknow on Wednesday.

The meeting between the two leaders has triggered talks of a possible alliance between AIMIM and SBSP ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in 2022. 

During their meeting, the two leaders expressed their willingness to work together to defeat BJP. The two leaders also discussed their strategy for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls. When asked whether it is necessary for all Opposition parties to unite to defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi said, "We are trying from our side, this question has to be answered by other big parties."

They also gave indications of a tie-up with Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP which has announced to contest the upcoming assembly polls in UP.

"The two of us are sitting before you. We stand together and we will work under his leadership," Owaisi told ANI when he was asked whether AIMIM will field candidates in Uttar Pradesh polls in 2022 polls.

The two of us (Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party's Om Prakash Rajbhar & he) are sitting before you. We stand together & we'll work under his leadership: AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi when asked if his party will hold talks with AAP

AAP will fight Uttar Pradesh elections in 2022. pic.twitter.com/qLmirL4AcZ — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 16, 2020

Responding to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's charge that AIMIM is colluding with the BJP, Owaisi reminded that the Chief Minister was part of the NDA under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Gujarat riots took place at that time. 

"Never was a man born who can buy Asaduddin Owaisi with money. Her allegation is baseless and she is restless. She should worry about her own home, so many of her people are going to BJP. She has insulted the voters of Bihar and the people who voted for us,'' Owaisi said.

Never was a man born who can buy Asaduddin Owaisi with money. Her allegation is baseless and she is restless. She should worry about her own home, so many of her people are going to BJP. She has insulted the voters of Bihar and the people who voted for us: Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM https://t.co/mT1fe7piii pic.twitter.com/8rfWq5eSk3 — ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2020

The AIMIM chief further said, "If she is saying our party is getting money to divide minority votes, then I would like to tell her that nobody can buy Asaduddin Owaisi by offering money. Her allegations are baseless and she has become a victim of restlessness. She should care about her own party. So many of TMC members are joining BJP, she should be worrying about it." 

"I would also like to tell Mamata Banerjee that the way she fought BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, they still ended up getting around 17 seats there. Our party was not even present there. And the second thing is that she has insulted the voters of Bihar. She is trying to divert all her anger on Owaisi but she has not yet encountered a real Muslim," the AIMIM chief said. 

Owaisi said that his party is yet to finalise the plans for the upcoming West Bengal elections.