The recent politics over jailed senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan and the expression of discontent by his supporters as well as other Muslim leaders in Uttar Pradesh have brought to fore the simmering frustration within the minority community with the non-BJP parties, in particular the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP.
In the 2022 Assembly election, Muslims, who constitute 19.5% of the population in the State, mobilised overwhelmingly in favour of the SP, playing their part in helping the alliance put up a decent fight.
However, the BJP’s successive win coupled with the long-drawn strategic silence on their issues by the non-BJP parties has led to a fresh churn within the community as it speculates about its political options as well as future.
