Assaduddin Owaisi can become Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Om Prakash Rajbhar

Owaisi Uttar Pradesh CM — Image Source : PTI (FILE)
Assaduddin Owaisi can become Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Om Prakash Rajbhar

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar has said that AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi could become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Speaking to reporters at his residence in Ballia last night, he asked why the son of a Muslim cannot become the Chief Minister or a deputy Chief Minister.

"Is it a crime to be a Muslim?" he said. "AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi can also become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh if he becomes a voter in the state. Uttar Pradesh has a sizeable Muslim population, around 20 per cent. They are a shareholder and should have representation in the government... Muslims too have a share," he opined.

Targetting the BJP over its alliance with Mehbooba Mufti's PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "The BJP joined the ranks with Mehbooba Mufti who talks about Pakistan and separatism."

Without taking the name of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said, "He is very clever....he left Uttarakhand and got himself registered as a voter in Uttar Pradesh and became Chief Minister."

The AIMIM has announced that the party will contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls next year with 'Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha', an alliance of smaller parties floated by Om Prakash Rajbhar.

"We have decided to contest 100 seats in the upcoming UP election. Party has begun the selection process of candidates. We are in alliance with Om Prakash Rajbhar's Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha. We have not talked about elections or alliance with any other party yet," AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had tweeted earlier this week.

Besides AIMIM and SBSP, the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha includes eight other parties like Krishna Patel's Apna Dal, Jan Adhikar Party and Chandrashekar Ravan's Azad Samaj Party.

Meanwhile, Om Prakash Rajbhar has proposed a seemingly bizarre power-sharing formula, saying "if ten-party 'Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha' came to power in the 2022 Assembly polls, there will be a new chief minister every year, representing a different caste".

The state will go to polls early next year. The term of the current Legislative Assembly expires on March 14.