Lucknow, Thursday: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) president Chandrashekhar Azad on Thursday announced a new political front, the Samajik Parivartan Morcha, ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Owaisi named Azad as the alliance’s chief ministerial candidate, and the two leaders said the front would contest all 403 Assembly seats in the state.
The announcement came at a joint press conference in Lucknow, where the two Lok Sabha MPs pitched the front as a third force in Uttar Pradesh politics, outside both the BJP-led NDA and the Samajwadi Party-Congress camp. Their stated goal is clear: stop the BJP from returning to power in the state for a third consecutive term.
A Dalit-Muslim front takes shape
The alliance brings together two parties with very different voter bases. The Azad Samaj Party draws its strength from Dalit and backward communities, while the AIMIM mainly represents Muslim voters. Together, the two groups make up a large share of Uttar Pradesh’s electorate: Dalits account for around 21 to 22 per cent of the state’s population and Muslims around 18 to 20 per cent, according to estimates cited by ABP News.
Owaisi was emphatic about the front’s purpose. “We have decided to form ‘Samajik Parivartan Morcha’. I can say with confidence this will be a strong Morcha to stop the BJP from coming to power in UP for the third time,” he said at the press conference.
Azad, the MP from Nagina, will lead the front as its chief president and its chief ministerial face for the 2027 polls, Owaisi announced. “I am delighted to announce that our brother, Chandrashekhar Azad, will be the Chief Ministerial candidate for this front in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
The leaders also announced a grand public meeting on 26 November, and appealed to people across Uttar Pradesh to attend it in large numbers. The rally will be the new front’s first big public show of strength.
Why this alliance matters
Uttar Pradesh has 403 Assembly seats, and no third front has managed to break the grip of the two main camps in recent elections. The Samajik Parivartan Morcha is being pitched as the first declared non-BJP, non-Congress front in the state, and political observers say it could change the electoral maths if the Dalit and Muslim votes consolidate behind it.
The front’s pitch goes beyond identity politics. At the press conference, Azad raised issues including unemployment, farmers’ distress, the concerns of marginalised communities, alleged vote theft, the fallout of demonetisation and the shrinking number of government jobs. The message is aimed squarely at voters who feel left out by both the ruling party and the main opposition.
Azad also kept the door open for a wider front, repeating the alliance’s invitation to the Samajwadi Party and the Congress to join the new formation. Whether either party responds will be one of the first tests of the Morcha’s pull.
The challenge, though, is real. The AIMIM contested around 100 seats each in the 2017 and 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections, winning about two lakh votes in 2017 and around 3.5 to 3.75 lakh votes in 2022. Turning that base into Assembly seats, even with a partner, will need far more than a joint press conference.
What happens next
- Seat sharing: The two leaders said there was no dispute on seats and that the front would contest all 403 seats together. Details of which party fights where are yet to be announced.
- 26 November rally: The grand public meeting later this month will show how much ground support the front can draw in its first outing.
- Opposition response: All eyes will be on whether the Samajwadi Party and the Congress engage with the invitation to join, or treat the Morcha as a rival.
- 2027 polls: The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are due in 2027, and the BJP will be seeking a third straight term in the state.
For now, the Samajik Parivartan Morcha has done what new fronts must do first: it has made itself impossible to ignore. Whether it becomes a genuine third force or another short-lived alliance will be decided on the ground, seat by seat, in the months ahead.
FAQs
What is the Samajik Parivartan Morcha?
It is a new political front launched on 12 November 2026 by the AIMIM and the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Who is the chief ministerial face of the front?
Chandrashekhar Azad, the Azad Samaj Party president and MP from Nagina, has been named the front’s chief ministerial candidate.
How many seats will the front contest?
The two leaders said the front would contest all 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh together.
Why is it being called a third front?
Because it positions itself outside the two main camps in the state, the BJP-led NDA and the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance.
When is the front’s first big public event?
A grand public meeting has been announced for 26 November.
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