Yogi Adityanath accepts Asaduddin Owaisi’s challenge

A day after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi vowed to dislodge Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the 2022 Assembly poll, the latter retorted by saying that he has accepted the prominent Muslim leader’s challenge.

The Bharatiya Janata Party workers will accept the challenge, Adityanath said today. “Owaisiji is a big national leader. He goes to different parts of the country for campaigning and has his own credibility among people. If he has challenged the BJP, then the BJP worker will accept his challenge.”

The BJP will return to power in the state, and “there should be no doubt on this,” he said. The BJP’s central leadership has 300-plus target in the Assembly poll, he added. The state Assembly has 403 seats.

Owaisi had said yesterday, “Inshallah, we will not allow Yogi [Adityanath] to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh again. If our morale is high and we work hard, then everything will happen. Inshallah, our endeavor is that the BJP government is not formed in Uttar Pradesh.”

The AIMIM, which intends to fight for 100 seats, has tied up with the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) which is headed by Om Prakash Rajbhar. The SBSP has formed an alliance with nine other smaller outfits.