Asaim Waqar, who spent nearly a decade with AIMIM after two decades in the Samajwadi Party, said he quit over the party’s alleged ground-level focus on the Congress and other opposition parties rather than the BJP.
BY PC Bureau
LUCKNOW, September 2, 2026: Former AIMIM national spokesperson Syed Asim Waqar joined the Congress on Wednesday, dealing a political setback to Asaduddin Owaisi’s party ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Waqar formally joined the Congress in Lucknow in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai and Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi, who heads the party’s minority department.
A prominent face in Uttar Pradesh politics, Waqar had spent nearly a decade with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), following about two decades in the Samajwadi Party. Explaining his decision to switch sides, he said he had become dissatisfied with AIMIM’s strategy on the ground.
Waqar said those committed to the country’s interests should work to defeat the BJP and establish a secular government. But, he alleged, while AIMIM’s top leadership projected its fight as being against the BJP, its campaign on the ground was effectively directed at the Congress and other opposition parties.
BREAKING : AIMIM Chief Spokes Asim Waqar joined Congress party
“When I was in AIMIM, I realised that they talk about fighting BJP but on ground they help BJP by fighting against Anti-BJP forces
That is why I decided to join Congress so I can fight against BJP for real”…
— Ankit Mayank (@mr_mayank) September 2, 2026
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“I found this unacceptable, which is why I decided to join the Congress,” he said.
Waqar also raised the issue of West Bengal politician Humayun Kabir, whom he had previously accused of acting as a BJP agent. Referring to allegations surrounding a sting operation involving Rs 1,100 crore, Waqar said that a future Congress government at the Centre would investigate the matter.
His move comes as the Congress and its alliance partner, the Samajwadi Party, prepare for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh polls. AIMIM, which failed to win a single seat in the 2022 Assembly election, has been seeking to expand its footprint in the state, particularly in Muslim-majority constituencies.
Waqar’s departure could therefore complicate Owaisi’s efforts to build the party’s organisation and influence in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the election.
Imran Pratapgarhi is reported to have played a key role in bringing Waqar into the Congress. The party has presented his induction as part of its broader effort to strengthen its organisation and minority outreach ahead of the 2027 elections.
