16 parties form alliance, decide to p roject Muslim CM candidate

LUCKNOW: Sixteen regional parties have come together to constitute the Rajnitik Parivartan Mahasangh, headed by Rashtriya Ulema Council president Maulana Aamir Rashadi Madni, for the 2017 assembly polls in the state. The alliance has decided to project a Muslim as the chief ministerial candidate. The name is yet to be decided.

The coalition would contest all 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

A joint conference of all the 16 constituents of the Mahasangh was held in Lucknow on Tuesday.

“After a year-long deliberations, 16 like minded parties have come together to form the Rajnitik Parivartan Mahasangh. All the 16 parties will contest the assembly election in Uttar Pradesh under the Mahasangh’s banner,” Maulana Aamir Rashadi Madni said at a joint press conference.

“We will contest all 403 seats. But all 16 parties under the Mahasangh will contest on their own party symbols,” said Madni.

On the need to form the Mahasangh, the Rashtriya Ulema Council chief said: “All the parties, be it the BJP, the BSP, the SP or the Congress, have failed to fulfil expectations of the people. Therefore, we have decided to form the Mahasangh to present an alternative before the masses.”

Madni attacked both the BJP and the Samajwadi Party for failing to carry out development projects in Uttar Pradesh.

“The BJP got a huge mandate from Uttar Pradesh in the last general election. But the Centre has failed to do anything for the state even after two years,” he said.

He also attacked the state government for failing to check the “deteriorating law and order situation” in the state.

Gopal Rai, national president of Rashtriya Krantikari Samajwadi Party (one of the 16 parties of the Mahasangh) said: “The coalition will project a Muslim chief minister. This step has been taken to check exploitation of Muslims by political parties.”