Lucknow: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) chief Chandrashekhar Azad are expected to hold a joint press conference in Lucknow on Thursday (November 12, 2026) to announce a pact between their two parties for the upcoming 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections, party leaders indicated.
The Alliance
The two-party alliance, in the making, could well be the much-talked-about non-BJP, non-Congress third front, as both AIMIM and the Azad Samaj Party look at the nearly 41% Dalit and minority vote bank in the most populous state — where the BJP is eyeing a record hat-trick and the opposition Samajwadi Party is desperate to break it.
The nature of the pact is yet to be revealed, but AIMIM spokesperson Shadab Chauhan confirmed the two parties will join hands.
“The nature of the pact and other details will be revealed on Thursday during the press conference to be addressed by AIMIM and Bhim Army leadership,” Mr. Chauhan told PTI.
Azad’s Remarks
Mr. Azad and Mr. Owaisi separately arrived in Lucknow ahead of the event, though neither revealed details of the alliance or the joint presser expected at a Gomtinagar hotel on Thursday afternoon.
“Whatever it is will be revealed before you,” Mr. Azad said to queries on his party’s alliance with AIMIM, adding that their effort was to strengthen youth, farmers, the weak and the marginalised.
“Will answer all your queries tomorrow,” he said to persistent questions, adding that all that is required to ensure the rights of the poor are not trampled will be done.
What Remains Unclear
It is still unclear how many seats the two parties plan to contest in the 403-seat State Assembly. It is equally unclear whether some other smaller parties could also join the alliance.
The Backdrop
The development comes after the main INDIA bloc parties in U.P. — the Samajwadi Party and the Congress — showed no interest in Mr. Owaisi’s offer to include him in their seat-sharing pact.
A miffed Mr. Owaisi, whose October 2 deadline to the SP and Congress to decide on his inclusion in the INDIA bloc found no takers, is now set to float a loose third front of sorts along with Mr. Azad’s party.
While Mr. Owaisi may not have much electoral presence in U.P., he does command influence in a section of the minority community — even as Mr. Azad’s growing influence among young Dalit voters is potentially a cause of worry for both the BJP-led NDA and the SP-Congress-led INDIA bloc.
