SP-Congress alliance jolted as AIMIM jumps into UP fray

Lucknow: In a jolt to the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance, Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has decided to contest seven Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

The seven seats on which the AIMIM is going to contest are Firozabad, Badaun, Moradabad, Sambhal, Amroha, Meerut, and Azamgarh - all with a significant Muslim electorate.

Akshay Yadav, son of senior SP leader Prof Ram Gopal Yadav, will be contesting the Firozabad seat while the Badaun seat will be contested by Shivpal Yadav. Azamgarh is likely to be contested by party chief Akhilesh Yadav himself.

AIMIM Uttar Pradesh President Shaukat Ali had sent a proposal to contest elections on 20 Lok Sabha seats in 2024 but only these seats have been shortlisted.