LUCKNOW, Nov. 11 -- Long discussed in political circles, the alliance between All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and the Azad Samaj Party (ASP) for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections was confirmed on Wednesday.

The formal announcement, including the number of seats the two parties will contest, is likely to be made at a joint press conference in Lucknow on Thursday. The press conference will be addressed by AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party chief and Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Azad. The alliance is expected to focus largely on Muslim- and Dalit-dominated constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh and the Rohilkhand region.

It will be interesting to see whether the alliance, despi...