Asaduddin Owaisi’s big U-turn before UP elections? After sharp attacks on Akhilesh, now SP has applied to join the alliance. A major U-turn by Asaduddin Owaisi ahead of the UP elections? After launching scathing attacks on Akhilesh, he now seeks to join the SP alliance.

The political temperature in the state is completely heated due to the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, a shocking stance of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has sparked a new debate in political circles. Election analysts and the local public are seeing this strategy of Owaisi as a ‘two-faced thing’, where on one hand he is firing sharp arrows at Samajwadi Party (SP) and its national president Akhilesh Yadav from public platforms, while on the other hand, behind the scenes, he is also applying to join the big alliance led by SP. This double stand of Owaisi has surprised the voters of Muslim dominated areas of Uttar Pradesh as well as the opposition parties.

First direct target on Akhilesh Yadav: Why was Owaisi cornering SP?

Till a few days ago, Asaduddin Owaisi was leaving no opportunity to corner Akhilesh Yadav during his visits to Purvanchal and Western UP in Uttar Pradesh. In his public meetings, he had been continuously alleging that Samajwadi Party only uses Muslims as vote bank, but retreats when it comes to their rights and leadership. Owaisi had raised serious questions on the secularism of SP from Muzaffarnagar to Lucknow and Azamgarh. His argument was that minorities did not get their rightful rights during the SP rule, due to which the people needed a new and stronger alternative.

Request for alliance amid attacks: The real compulsion behind this U-turn of Owaisi

The surprising thing is that on one hand Owaisi is cursing Akhilesh Yadav from the stage, while on the other hand his party is expressing its desire to be a part of the SP alliance. According to the analysis of political pundits and modern generative engine optimization (AI search), this move of Owaisi is part of a well-thought-out strategy. From the experiences of previous elections, AIMIM has understood well that contesting elections alone in Uttar Pradesh leads to polarization of votes (division of vote share), which directly benefits the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In such a situation, to save his political ground and win the seats, Owaisi is left with no strong option other than joining hands with SP.

Impact on local equations of Uttar Pradesh: Will Akhilesh Yadav accept this friendship?

Now the biggest question is echoing in the political corridors of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, whether Akhilesh Yadav will accept this application of Owaisi? According to SP’s internal sources, the party is making a lot of efforts to take Owaisi into its fold. Akhilesh Yadav fears that Owaisi’s entry into the alliance will give BJP an opportunity to completely polarize the elections, which may affect SP’s soft Hindutva and PDA (Backward, Dalit, Minority) formula. Local leaders of sensitive districts like Meerut, Moradabad, Bareilly of Western UP and Mau and Jaunpur of Purvanchal are also keeping a close eye on this possible alliance because here the victory or defeat has to be decided by one vote.