'No talks on seat sharing yet', Rajbhar says he is ready to give 125 seats to AIMIM

Lucknow: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi is reported to have said the party has decided to contest at least 100 seats in the UP election next year.The party has begun identifying suitable candidates to field them in the upcoming Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh.

AIMIM has floated an alliance with the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha, a pre-poll alliance of ten parties headed by Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP). SBSP was a former BJP's ally and Om Prakash Rajbhar the chief of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party(SBSP) and prominent OBC leader.was a former minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.

Owaisi said the AIMIM has an alliance with Rajbhar's Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha. "We have had no talks about the election or alliance with any other party," Owaisi wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

Earlier, as part of selection process of prospective candidates for the 2022 assembly elections, the party had asked aspiring candidates to submit an application form with personal details, an affidavit that the applicant has not been named in any criminal case, details of the applicant's social as well as political activities, a copy of the Aadhaar card.

The party also asked ₹10,000 as fee and a loyalty affidavit that the candidate will campaign for the party in the assembly election even if he/she fails to get the party ticket.

A Hindutan Times report quoted AIMIM state unit president Shaukat Ali saying that a high level committee of AIMIM from Hyderabad will arrive to select and finalise the candidates, though the applications are submitted in the state unit office in Lucknow.

According to him the party has already identified the seats on which it plans to field candidates. We are collecting regular feedback from the district units and review meetings are being organised under my chairmanship in all the districts," he was quoted saying.

Meanwhile, reacting to Owaisi's claim that his party would contest on 100 seats, SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar said that he was ready to give 125 seats to his coalition partner AIMIM against Owaisi's demand of 100 seats. Rajbhar also added that he did not have any talks yet with Owaisi on seat sharing.

Talking to reporters at his residence in Rasra district on Sunday night, Rajbhar, however, said there was no problem on the seat-sharing in the new coalition. He also exuded confidence that Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh after the next assembly elections.

In reply to a question, whether the SP, BSP or the Congress whoever wants to come to his front are welcome. Ruling out any chance of revival of his party's alliance with the BJP, he said the BJP is an enemy of Dalit and backward classes.

These people are remembered by the BJP only during elections,he said