Owaisi Jabs Akhilesh: 'My Speech Made Him Visit Azam Khan'
Synopsis
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi claimed that his speech reminded Akhilesh Yadav to visit Azam Khan, sharpening the AIMIM-SP contest over Muslim political representation in Uttar Pradesh.
Key Takeaways
On October 26, 2026 , Owaisi posted on X claiming his speech prompted Akhilesh Yadav to visit Azam Khan .
The post implies SP leadership neglects Azam Khan unless pressured by public criticism.
Azam Khan is a senior SP leader from Rampur, UP , who has faced multiple legal cases in recent years.
Owaisi's post included a video, suggesting it may reference footage from his speech.
The exchange reflects an ongoing AIMIM-SP rivalry over Muslim voter trust in Uttar Pradesh .
Any SP response or further Akhilesh visit to Azam Khan will signal how both parties manage this fault line ahead of the next UP assembly elections.
A pointed barb from AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi landed on Monday, October 26, 2026 — and it was aimed squarely at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Posting on X, Owaisi wrote in Hindi: 'हमारी तक़रीर के बाद Akhilesh को Azam Khan की याद आई और उनसे मिलने जाना पड़ा' — 'After my speech, Akhilesh Yadav was reminded of Azam Khan and had to go meet him.' The implication is cutting: that it took public pressure from a rival to nudge the SP president into visiting his own senior leader.
The Azam Khan Equation in UP Politics
Azam Khan is one of the most prominent Muslim faces in Uttar Pradesh politics — a long-serving SP stalwart and former minister from Rampur who has spent recent years entangled in a string of legal cases. His standing within SP, and the degree of solidarity Akhilesh Yadav has shown him publicly, has been a recurring flash point. Owaisi's framing is deliberate: by suggesting that only a speech from the AIMIM floor prompted the SP chief to act, he casts himself as the one holding SP accountable on Muslim political representation — precisely the space both parties contest.AIMIM vs SP: The Muslim-Voter Fault Line
This exchange is the latest round in a long-running rivalry. Owaisi has consistently argued that SP takes Muslim voters for granted while sidelining Muslim leaders when it is politically inconvenient. SP, for its part, frames AIMIM as a vote-splitter that ultimately benefits the BJP. The argument runs in circles — but its audience is real: Muslim-majority constituencies across western and eastern UP where both parties compete for trust and turnout. Owaisi's post carries a video, suggesting he may be backing the claim with footage from the speech itself. That detail matters: it is harder to dismiss a clip than a tweet. Whether Akhilesh Yadav or the Samajwadi Party responds publicly will determine whether this stays a one-day jab or opens into a wider argument as the next round of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections draws closer. In UP's never-quiet political arena, even a single sentence can reframe an entire alliance calculus.Point of View
Then claim the credit when action follows. It keeps the narrative alive that SP is reactive, not proactive, on Muslim political interests in UP. The broader arc is a years-long effort by AIMIM to carve out a distinct identity in UP constituencies where SP has historically been the dominant choice for Muslim voters. Whether this lands as accountability or opportunism depends entirely on the audience — but in an election cycle, the distinction barely matters.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Owaisi criticise Akhilesh Yadav over Azam Khan?
Owaisi claimed that only after his public speech did Akhilesh Yadav visit Azam Khan, suggesting SP neglects its own senior Muslim leader unless pressured by rivals like AIMIM.
Who is Azam Khan and why does his relationship with SP matter?
Azam Khan is a veteran SP leader and former minister from Rampur, UP, who has faced several legal cases. His perceived neglect by SP leadership is a recurring point of criticism from opposition parties.
What is the rivalry between AIMIM and Samajwadi Party about?
Both parties compete for Muslim voter support in Uttar Pradesh. AIMIM argues SP takes Muslim voters for granted; SP counters that AIMIM splits the anti-BJP vote.
What did Owaisi say in his post about Akhilesh Yadav?
Owaisi wrote in Hindi that after his speech, Akhilesh Yadav was 'reminded' of Azam Khan and 'had to go meet him,' implying the visit was reactive rather than voluntary.
What is the significance of this exchange ahead of UP elections?
It signals that both AIMIM and SP are actively competing for credibility among Muslim voters in UP, a contest that intensifies as assembly election cycles approach.
