Tauqeer may forge alliance with RLD

BAREILLY: Eyeing Muslim and Jat votes together in western UP for state assembly elections, Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) chief and renowned Barelvi cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan hinted at an alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and other like-minded parties.
Talking with TOI, Khan said, “If Jat and Muslim votes are divided, it will benefit communal forces in the state assembly elections.” The cleric has invited RLD chief Ajit Singh for the “Sadbhavna rally” to be celebrated on the foundation day of IMC on Sunday.
“We want to save UP from Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) while residents have suffered a lot during successive governments of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). On the lines of Bihar, we are trying to form an alliance for UP to give a fresh and better option to people of the state,” said the cleric. He added, “I am in touch with a few parties and we will soon announce about the formation of an alliance. If Jat and Muslim votes are divided, it will benefit communal forces in the state assembly elections.”
The combination of Muslim and Jat votes can play an important role in western UP as there are many assembly seats where Muslims and Jats voters are in a majority.
Talking about his “Sadbhavna rally” where the cleric proposes to share the stage with Ajit Singh, Khan said, “Communal forces have become active across the state to disturb the social fabric for gaining in the UP polls. Through this rally, we want to create awareness among people to remain alert and act with prudence to defeat communal forces.” He added that he is concentrating on communal harmony now and will later announce about the alliance for UP polls.
In July this year, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi had come to Bareilly to meet Khan, triggering talks of an alliance for state assembly elections.
The cleric has been known to shift his allegiance quite often. In the Lok Sabha polls of 2009, he had supported Congress, while in the UP assembly elections of 2012, he had backed the SP. In Lok Sabha elections of 2014, he supported BSP. However, it was due to Khan’s support that Congress candidate Praveen Singh Aron was able to defeat six-time BJP MP Santosh Gangwar in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.