UP Polls: Chandrashekhar Azad bets big on tie-up with Asaduddin Owaisi, says 'we will be Kingmakers'

Days after announcing a tie-up with AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, the Nagina MP and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief Chandrashekhar Azad appearing confident said that the arrangement will pay electoral dividends and they will emerge as 'Kingmakers' in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Speaking to Times of India (TOI), Azad reasoned that his decision to emerge as Samajik Parivartan Morcha's CM face, was a 'calculated political strategy. "A Dalit CM face will not give BJP an opportunity to polarise the election and derail our larger objective of removing it from power." The alliance is banking on Dalit-Muslim unity.

Citing the 2011 Census, he put the Scheduled Caste population at 21% and Muslims at 18-19% in UP. With no 2021 Census, he estimated their combined share at 45%, "influencing 275 of UP's 403 seats", TOI reported quoting Azad. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday called the 'Samajik Parivartan Morcha', the alliance formed by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) chief Chandrashekhar Azad, a "good thing" for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He said it would shift the debate from sentimental issues to basic issues. Speaking to reporters, Yadav said, "It is good because people would not get carried away emotionally.

The basic questions will be raised. The way the government gets votes by using slogans or sentimental issues against the PDA community, I hope this alliance will corner the government on emotional issues." PDA stands for Pichhda (backwards), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minority), the social coalition the SP has built its politics around. Owaisi and Chandrashekhar Azad on Thursday announced the formation of the alliance, with Owaisi naming Azad as its Chief Ministerial candidate and asserting that the front would prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from returning to power in the state for a third consecutive term.

On Friday, Azad asserted that his battle is against the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh, and not the opposition. Owaisi and Azad also invited the Samajwadi Party, Congress and other parties to join hands to prevent the BJP from returning to power for a third consecutive term. At a press conference on Thursday, the two leaders said the SPM would provide an independent political platform to the deprived, oppressed and marginalised communities.