Owaisi rally crowds making Akhilesh Yadav anxious, claims O.P. Rajbhar
Synopsis
UP Minister O.P. Rajbhar has claimed that AIMIM chief Owaisi's swelling rally crowds — from Saharanpur to Azamgarh — have rattled SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is reportedly running internal surveys to gauge Muslim voter drift. With Owaisi simultaneously attacking the SP in its own Azamgarh backyard and the alliance deadline already expired, the Muslim vote calculus in Uttar Pradesh is entering genuinely unpredictable territory.
Key Takeaways
UP Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar claimed on 13 October that Akhilesh Yadav has grown anxious over large crowds at Owaisi's rallies in Saharanpur, Bahraich, Kanpur and Azamgarh .
Rajbhar alleged the SP initially sidelined Owaisi's alliance proposal but is now conducting internal surveys on Muslim voter movement.
The SP is reportedly weighing three concerns: Muslim vote shift to AIMIM, benefit from a formal alliance, and OBC voter backlash if it aligns closely with Muslim parties.
Owaisi addressed a rally in Azamgarh — an SP stronghold — urging Muslims to end the 'slavery of the Yadav clan in red cap.' Owaisi's alliance deadline reportedly expired nine days ago without a positive response from the SP.
Rajbhar claimed 80 per cent of Muslim votes go to the SP, and that any AIMIM alliance would hurt the SP and Congress more than his own camp.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Tuesday, 13 October claimed that All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi's surging public support across Uttar Pradesh has unsettled Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav ahead of the forthcoming state Assembly elections. Speaking at Ambedkar Nagar, Rajbhar alleged that the SP had initially cold-shouldered an alliance proposal from Owaisi, only to grow worried when large crowds began turning up at the AIMIM leader's rallies.
What Rajbhar Alleged
Rajbhar, who heads the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and serves as a minister in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet, claimed that Owaisi had approached the SP with an alliance offer but was 'sidelined' by Yadav. 'Owaisi wanted to form an alliance with the Samajwadi Party so that they could contest the elections together. However, Akhilesh Yadav was ignoring him. In a way, he had sidelined Owaisi. But when Akhilesh saw huge crowds gathering at Owaisi's rallies, whether in Saharanpur, Bahraich, Kanpur or Azamgarh, he became worried. The large crowds attending Owaisi's programmes across these places have made Akhilesh ji anxious,' Rajbhar claimed.
He further alleged that the SP leadership was internally surveying whether Muslim voters were drifting towards Owaisi, and whether a formal alliance with the AIMIM would cost the SP support among Other Backward Classes (OBCs). 'Now they are worried about three things. Will Muslims shift from the Samajwadi Party towards Owaisi? So, Akhilesh is conducting a survey on this. Second, if they form an alliance, will Muslims support them? Third, they fear that if they align with Muslims, people from backward classes might leave them. That's why they are conducting surveys,' Rajbhar said.
Rajbhar's Political Calculation
Rajbhar also claimed that any AIMIM alliance deal would hurt the SP and the Indian National Congress (Congress) far more than his own political camp, citing the AIMIM's traditional draw among Muslim voters. 'The Samajwadi Party and the Congress will suffer, not us, if Owaisi forms an alliance or something. Muslims give around 80 per cent of their votes to the Samajwadi Party,' he said.
This comes amid Rajbhar's own calculations as a smaller-party leader who has historically pivoted between alliances with both the SP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His remarks are widely seen as an attempt to deepen the wedge between the SP and potential AIMIM voters.
Owaisi Sharpens Attack on SP in Azamgarh
Separately, Owaisi has stepped up his offensive against the SP after the party reportedly failed to respond positively to his alliance proposal even nine days after the deadline he had set had expired. Addressing a public meeting in Azamgarh — considered an SP stronghold — Owaisi urged Muslim voters to end what he described as the 'slavery of the Yadav clan in red cap.' He alleged that generations of Muslims had supported Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav but had not received an adequate share in political leadership.
Owaisi also alleged that Azamgarh had been neglected despite its long-standing loyalty to the SP, and called on Muslims to build independent political leadership, accusing mainstream parties of seeking votes in the name of secularism without proportionate representation for the community.
Broader Political Context
Rajbhar noted that Owaisi's interventions in Bihar and West Bengal had already dented other parties' prospects, signalling that a serious UP entry could reshape the contest. The AIMIM has previously been accused — including by Congress leaders — of acting as a 'vote-splitter' that benefits the BJP by fragmenting the minority vote. Owaisi has consistently rejected that characterisation.
With Assembly election season in Uttar Pradesh drawing closer, the evolving dynamic between the SP, the AIMIM, and smaller OBC-based parties like Rajbhar's SBSP is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
He is signalling to both AIMIM and OBC blocs that the alliance arithmetic is fluid and that his own position is pivotal. The SP's reported three-way internal survey dilemma — Muslim drift, alliance upside, OBC blowback — captures the genuine structural tension of UP's identity politics. Owaisi's Azamgarh gambit is particularly pointed: taking the fight to an SP fortress is designed to force a response, not win a seat. The real question mainstream coverage underplays is whether Owaisi's entry ultimately consolidates the SP's Muslim base through fear of fragmentation, or actually fragments it — history in Bihar and West Bengal offers mixed precedents.
NationPress
13 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did O.P. Rajbhar claim about Owaisi and Akhilesh Yadav?
Rajbhar claimed that large crowds at Owaisi's rallies across UP — including in Saharanpur, Bahraich, Kanpur, and Azamgarh — have made SP chief Akhilesh Yadav anxious ahead of Assembly elections. He alleged the SP had initially ignored Owaisi's alliance proposal but is now conducting internal surveys on the potential impact.
What is Owaisi's alliance proposal to the Samajwadi Party?
Owaisi reportedly sought an alliance with the SP to contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections together. According to reports, the SP did not respond positively even nine days after the deadline Owaisi had set, prompting him to intensify his criticism of the party.
Why is the SP reportedly conducting internal surveys?
According to Rajbhar, the SP is surveying three concerns: whether Muslim voters are shifting towards Owaisi, whether a formal AIMIM alliance would benefit the SP, and whether aligning closely with Muslim parties would alienate its OBC voter base. The surveys reflect the delicate balance the SP must strike in UP's coalition politics.
What did Owaisi say at his Azamgarh rally?
At a public meeting in Azamgarh — considered an SP stronghold — Owaisi urged Muslims to end what he described as the 'slavery of the Yadav clan in red cap.' He alleged that generations of Muslims had supported the Yadav family but had not received adequate political representation in return.
How could Owaisi's entry affect UP's election outcome?
Rajbhar claimed that if Owaisi forms an alliance or contests independently, the SP and Congress would suffer the most, given that Muslims give around 80 per cent of their votes to the SP. Owaisi's previous electoral interventions in Bihar and West Bengal have been cited as precedents where AIMIM's presence affected other parties' vote shares.
