Azamgarh (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 11 (ANI): Ahead of upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday took direct aim at the ruling dispensation's political rhetoric, shifting the narrative from communal polarisation to economic inequality during a public address in Azamgarh.
Challenging Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s frequently invoked "80% versus 20%" political formulation, Owaisi countered with his own stark demographic framing: a battle of "99% against 1%."
Citing data from the Uttar Pradesh Department of Economics and Statistics for 2024–25, Owaisi pointed out that Azamgarh ranks fourth among the state's districts for having the highest population of impoverished residents.
"The state's Department of Economics and Statistics acknowledges that Azamgarh ranks fourth among the districts in Uttar Pradesh with the highest number of poor people. This is what the UP government's data for 2024–25 reveals, yet the Chief Minister speaks of an 80% vs. 20% divide," the AIMIM chief said.
He argued that while the state leadership focuses on religious or majoritarian divides, the true fault line in Uttar Pradesh, and India, is economic marginalisation. Positioning himself alongside the masses, Owaisi asserted that top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and the Chief Minister, represent the privileged corporate and political elite, leaving the remaining vast majority to struggle with poverty.
"I want to tell the Chief Minister that the contest ahead will not be about 80% vs 20%; it will be a battle of 99% against 1%. Your party—you, PM Modi, and Amit Shah—stand with that 1%, whereas Owaisi stands with the 99%," he said, adding, "You might be wondering who this one percent represents..."
Earlier, on October 4, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi offered to ally with the Samajwadi Party to prevent the BJP from returning to power in Uttar Pradesh for a third consecutive term, while announcing his support for Daddan Khan as the party’s potential candidate from the Bhinga Assembly seat.
Addressing a public meeting in Bhinga in Shravasti district ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Owaisi said the AIMIM was ready to ally with the SP if the objective was to stop the BJP from forming the government again.
“I have said many times, and I am saying it again today. If they want to stop the BJP, Owaisi and Majlis are ready to ally, to agree, so that Baba does not become the Chief Minister here for the third time,” Owaisi said.
He said the offer should not be seen as a sign of weakness, but as a political decision aimed at preventing the BJP from returning to power.
“This is not a sign of weakness. This is a sign of our strength and courage that we are extending our hand towards you. If you reject this hand, then listen, SP people, these hands are very long,” he said.
Owaisi said the AIMIM would work for justice and development if given an electoral mandate.
“I am promising you that you will get justice, your dreams will be fulfilled, mosques will be protected, madrasas will be protected,” he said.
The AIMIM chief also spoke about his political campaign and said he would continue to raise issues affecting weaker sections, including Dalits and Muslims. (ANI)
99% vs 1%: Owaisi reframes UP politics in Azamgarh, citing state poverty data
