That the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) of Asaduddin Owaisi has been called the 'B team' of the BJP is old news. The Congress and its allies have openly accused AIMIM, which mainly seeks to attract Muslim voters, of splitting votes and indirectly benefiting the BJP.
On Wednesday, BJP MP for Unnao Sakshi Maharaj, who has a history of making controversial statements, claimed Owaisi "had helped the BJP".
Maharaj made the comments when speaking to BJP workers in Saurikh on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway on his way to Delhi.
Maharaj adopted a sarcastic tone when referring to AIMIM's plan to contest the upcoming panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh. Maharaj was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying, "Many thanks to him [Owaisi]. May God give him strength and help him. He supported us in Bihar; he will help us in UP and West Bengal elections."
AIMIM is likely to contest the panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh under a pact with the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an erstwhile BJP ally. In December, Asaduddin Owaisi had announced his party's intention to fight the next state elections in Uttar Pradesh as part of the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha.
The SBSP, headed by former UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, is garnering smaller and regional parties under the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha.
"Candidates belonging to Asaduddin Owaisi's party are likely to be fielded in the panchayat elections as the Morcha's joint candidate," Rajbhar told reporters on Wednesday.
He said the nine constituents of the Morcha will hold meetings at all the 75 district headquarters of the state on January 17.
"After this, a joint rally of the Morcha will be organised. It will be addressed by Owaisi as well as other leaders of the front," he said.
Uttar Pradesh has a total of 58,758 ''gram panchayats'' and as many panchayat heads. As per a state government notification, the five-year tenure of 58,660 ''gram panchayats'', barring 88 of Gautam Budh Nagar and 10 of Gonda districts, where gram panchayat elections were held later, ended on December 25.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Sriram Chauhan told reporters that the BJP will gain if Owaisi contests polls in Uttar Pradesh. "Asaduddin Owaisi has no poll issues and if he contests the elections, then the votes will get divided, thereby benefiting the BJP,” Chauhan said.