With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, the state’s political landscape is witnessing fresh realignments. On November 12, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) president Chandrashekhar Azad announced a new political alliance, the ‘Samajik Parivartan Morcha’, in Lucknow. The alliance has named Chandrashekhar Azad as its chief ministerial candidate.
The new formation plans to contest all 403 Assembly seats and has invited other opposition parties, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), to join its platform. Chandrashekhar Azad said the alliance would welcome any party willing to come on board, promising an appropriate share and respect to its partners.
The announcement has triggered fresh political speculation over the future of Swami Prasad Maurya, president of the Apni Janta Party. With SP chief Akhilesh Yadav ruling out his inclusion in the INDIA bloc’s seat-sharing arrangement, the question is which political camp Maurya could align with ahead of the crucial state elections.
There are three possible routes before the former Uttar Pradesh minister.
Option 1: Join the INDIA bloc through the Congress
Maurya’s first option is to secure a place in the INDIA bloc through the Congress. In October 2026, he met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and subsequently announced his party’s intention to join the Opposition alliance.
Maurya is likely to seek Assembly seats from the Congress’s share in Uttar Pradesh, rather than depend on the Samajwadi Party for accommodation.
However, this route comes with complications. The Congress and SP are key constituents of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh, and the latter’s opposition to Maurya could make seat-sharing negotiations more difficult. The Congress would have to accommodate Maurya and his party within its own quota if it decides to back him.
Option 2: Join the Owaisi-Chandrashekhar Azad alliance
The newly formed Samajik Parivartan Morcha is another possible political destination for Maurya.
There is already a history of political engagement between the three leaders. During the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, Owaisi, Chandrashekhar Azad and Maurya came together as part of a third-front initiative.
With Owaisi and Chandrashekhar now announcing a formal alliance in Uttar Pradesh, speculation has intensified over whether Maurya could join the new formation.
The Morcha has projected itself as a platform for Dalits, Muslims, backward communities and other marginalised sections. Maurya’s political base among non-Yadav OBC communities could potentially complement the alliance’s electoral ambitions.
Option 3: Contest the 2027 elections independently
A third possibility is for Maurya to contest the Assembly elections independently under the Apni Janta Party banner.
If negotiations with the Congress fail to deliver an acceptable number of seats, and an understanding with the Samajik Parivartan Morcha does not materialise, Maurya could choose to go it alone.
His party could focus on constituencies in eastern Uttar Pradesh and seats with a significant Maurya-Kushwaha voter presence. Such a strategy could allow him to retain his political identity while potentially influencing the electoral calculations of the larger alliances.
Akhilesh Yadav’s rejection changes the equation
The immediate trigger for the latest political uncertainty was Akhilesh Yadav’s public rejection of Maurya’s inclusion in his alliance.
On October 30, the SP chief made it clear that Maurya would not be accommodated in the party’s seat-sharing arrangement for the 2027 Assembly elections.
Maurya responded by arguing that Akhilesh Yadav did not represent the entire INDIA bloc and that the final decision rested with the Congress leadership.
The disagreement has exposed another point of friction between the Congress and the SP at a time when both parties are preparing for negotiations over seat-sharing in Uttar Pradesh.