Lucknow, Nov 12 After announcing the formation of a third front — the ‘Samajik Parivartan Morcha’ — for the 2027 UP polls on Thursday, the Morcha leaders, including AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party’s (Kanshiram) Chandrashekhar Aazad, invited the Samajwadi Party and the Congress to join them.
The invite came amid the INDIA bloc’s rejection of their bid to join the opposition alliance for next year’s UP elections. At a press conference here, Aazad, in the presence of AIMIM president and Lok Sabha MP Owaisi, said the coalition was “large-hearted” and that any other party, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, was welcome to contest the polls in support of the alliance if it wanted “to stop the BJP from coming to power in UP again”.
AIMIM and ASP (Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram)) have announced a major public rally in the state capital on November 26, coinciding with Constitution Day, and the Samajwadi Party is scheduled to unveil its UP poll manifesto.
Rejecting the description of the alliance as a “third front”, Aazad claimed it could emerge as a strong political platform for the deprived, oppressed and marginalised sections of society.
“People have been calling it a third front, but it is not a third front. It is the Samajik Parivartan Morcha. If you understand its depth, you will realise that it is the first front,” he said. Aazad said the alliance would seek to unite weaker and deprived sections and enable them to use their electoral strength to secure political power and address their concerns.
Invoking B R Ambedkar, he said political power was the “master key” to resolving people’s problems and argued that communities without their own political organisation could not effectively protect their interests, irrespective of their population.
He said Ambedkar had formed political organisations, including the Scheduled Castes Federation, the Indian Labour Party and the Republican Party of India, after realising that existing political parties would not adequately represent the interests of marginalised communities.
Aazad alleged that successive governments had failed to fulfil promises of bringing deprived communities into the mainstream, addressing poverty and preventing atrocities against them.
He cited the lack of basic facilities, including good schools, hospitals, clean drinking water and adequate infrastructure in poor localities, as well as unemployment among educated youth. He alleged that those raising their voices for their rights faced police action, cases and imprisonment.
Referring to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections of 2014, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2024, Aazad said people had repeatedly been promised that the BJP would be removed from power, but it had instead become stronger. “We cannot continue to swallow the insult. We will use our votes to build our own strength and work for the welfare of the exploited, deprived and oppressed,” he said.
Quoting BSP founder Kanshi Ram, Aazad said the power of the vote would enable marginalised communities to become decision-makers rather than remain dependent on others. He accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of targeting him and his supporters, referring to his arrest and detention under the National Security Act (NSA), as well as alleged attacks on houses and the filing of cases against people associated with his movement.
Aazad accused the UP government of trying to divert attention from its failures and alleged that its policies benefited traders rather than all sections of society. He questioned whether any political party in the state had remained free of scams involving ministers, MPs and MLAs, alleging that the rights of poor, Dalit and backward communities had been denied.
Outlining his party’s priorities if it came to power, Aazad promised free education from Class 1 to 12, quality schooling, better hospitals and healthcare for the poor, and employment for educated youth.
He said the alliance would also work to protect the dignity and self-respect of all sections. Owaisi referred to Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav’s meeting with Mohammad Azam Khan in jail, saying people were watching the political developments and would judge the parties’ intentions.
He said his party had consistently raised its voice in support of Azam Khan and would continue to fight for him wherever necessary.
Owaisi questioned why other leaders were not speaking about Dalit and marginalised community members lodged in jails, saying those who did not deserve imprisonment should get justice. He said the political struggle was about securing representation, equality and dignity, adding that marginalised communities could no longer be expected merely to follow other political leaders.
(PTI News)
