AIMIM chief says Uttar Pradesh Muslims must build own political strength after US Muslim senator elected

Democrat Abdul El‑Sayed secured the Michigan Senate seat, marking the first time a Muslim has entered the United States Senate. Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis‑e‑Ittehadul Muslimeen and Hyderabad MP, said the victory forces Muslims in Uttar Pradesh to firm up their own political standing. He posted on X that rival Sangh groups have tried to turn the name Abdul into an insult, and that Muslims must show loyalty only to Allah, not become carpet‑laying supporters for other parties. In recent Uttar Pradesh talks, Owaisi urged the community to stop depending on the Nehru‑Gandhi family or the Yadav clan and to develop leaders from within. At a rally in Rampur, he warned that some leaders want Muslims to act merely as footstools for those families, not to lead. Telangana Congress leader Mohammed Waliullah Sameer rebuked Owaisi, claiming he is promoting a leadership model he never applied in Hyderabad or Telangana. Over the past months Owaisi has toured the state, speaking in areas dominated by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, and has openly attacked SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and the party’s Muslim legislators for treating the community as a vote bank. He signaled willingness to join an anti‑BJP coalition, demanding that AIMIM be given a genuine partnership rather than a subordinate role.

Context

Muslim representation in Indian politics often hinges on regional parties; Owaisi’s call for an independent Muslim voice reflects a broader push to move beyond traditional reliance on legacy families.