Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Thursday rejected allegations that his party was acting as the BJP’s “B team”, questioning the Congress and other opposition parties over their own electoral alliances and contests against one another.
Azad was speaking at a press conference in Lucknow alongside All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, where the two leaders announced an alliance for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections under the name Samajik Parivartan Morcha (SPM).
Owaisi also announced Azad as the alliance’s chief ministerial candidate.
Azad Questions Opposition’s ‘B Team’ Allegations
Responding to the allegations, Azad referred to remarks reportedly made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had described the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as the BJP’s “B team” during a rally in Punjab.
“If contesting elections independently makes a party the BJP’s B team, why did the Samajwadi Party contest 70 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 54 in Uttarakhand and 20 in Jammu?” Azad asked.
He also questioned why the Congress and the Trinamool Congress contested against each other in West Bengal, and why the Congress and AAP fought separately in Delhi and Haryana.
Azad pointed out that the Congress and AAP had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Delhi as part of the INDIA bloc. He asked whether AAP was considered the BJP’s “B team” at that time or had become one later.
He also referred to the 2023 local body elections, questioning why the Samajwadi Party had contested those polls in alliance with his party if it now doubted its political intentions.
Azad said his party was contesting elections to address the concerns of its own communities, alleging that other parties often remained silent when members of marginalised groups faced violence and injustice.
“Today, we are fighting for our own people and to find solutions to their problems, because not a word comes from your side when their lives are lost,” he said.
Owaisi Names Azad as Chief Ministerial Candidate
Announcing the alliance, Owaisi said Azad would be its chief ministerial face in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
The coalition, named Samajik Parivartan Morcha, said it planned to contest 150 seats. The two leaders also called for a rally on November 26.
Owaisi described the alliance as a formation built on political and intellectual honesty. He said it aimed to prevent the BJP from returning to power in Uttar Pradesh for a third consecutive term.
Azad said the alliance was not merely a “Third Front” but a platform for social change representing marginalised, deprived, oppressed and exploited communities.
He alleged that successive governments had made promises of poverty eradication and social justice without improving the conditions of Bahujan communities.
Alliance Seeks to Consolidate Dalit and Muslim Support
The alliance is seeking to bring together Dalit and Muslim voters in Uttar Pradesh. Muslims account for around 20 per cent of the state’s population, while Dalits make up approximately 21 per cent.
The new political formation could affect the electoral calculations of other parties, particularly the Samajwadi Party and Congress, which are engaged in seat-sharing discussions.
Despite their differences, Azad and Owaisi invited both parties to join the alliance.
“I appeal to the SP and the Congress: if you wish to join us in the fight against this government, you are welcome. We will stand by your side,” Azad said.
Parties’ Performance in the 2022 Assembly Elections
Both AIMIM and the Azad Samaj Party had limited electoral success in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
AIMIM contested 95 seats, secured around 0.49 per cent of the vote and failed to win any seat. The Azad Samaj Party contested more than 100 seats and received approximately 0.13 per cent of the vote.
The Samajwadi Party contested 347 seats and won 111, with a vote share of 43.82 per cent. The Congress contested 399 seats, won two and secured 2.33 per cent of the vote.
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 seats, with 202 required for a majority.
