Notwithstanding the denial of Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP MP from Unnao, Sakshi Maharaj, has created a political controversy by claiming that All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi had helped the BJP in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections and that he would do the same in the coming elections in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

Owaisi had contested the Bihar elections winning five assembly seats in the Muslim majority areas, denying advantage to the RJD-led  opposition against BJP-JDU-VIP combination that won the assembly poll.

The outspoken Unnao MP said as in Bihar,  AIMIM’s decision to contest the Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal elections will help the BJP register victory in both the States.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, had long alleged that AIMIM  has been playing the role of ‘BJP’s B team.’ The BJP MP’s comments have apparently confirmed the suspicion and the charges leveled by the opposition against the Owaisi and the BJP.

“Khuda unko  taakat de “ (May God give him strength”, said Sakshi Maharaj adding “ he helped us in Bihar and will help us (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh panchayat and Assembly polls and also in West Bengal,” he said at Kannauj while on way to the National Capital.

Owaisi had earlier denied the charges of collusion with the BJP and made his intent of contesting Assembly poll in Bengal and UP quite clear. He had said that the opposition should “look within” to find reasons for its electoral defeats instead of blaming his party for it.

The AIMIM is presently  all set to contest the upcoming panchayat polls in UP in alliance with the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party.

Asked about the BJP MP’s admission of AIMIM tactically helping BJP, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi denied saying “tired and fatigued people are not helping BJP win as the party is scoring victories  on its  own strength”.

Owaisi’s party had recently contested Hyderabad Municipal elections and emerged as the third largest party winning 44 seats with TRS leading with 55, BJP second with 48 and Congress winning only two seats.