Lucknow, Aug 19 (IANS): After failing to make its presence felt in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections earlier this year, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is now preparing to contest municipal polls across the state.

AIMIM's state president Shaukat Ali Khan said" "We were called for a meeting at Asaduddin Owaisi's residence in Hyderabad. Whatever the instructions given to us will be followed and will work on it. Soon we will announce the candidate for Chairman, Panchayat Raj and other posts in Uttar Pradesh."

Pointing out the incompetence of some party leaders during the state legislative elections in 2022, he said" "We lost in the Assembly election. There was a time when the BJP would forfeit deposits but see where the party is today. So, it will take some time, we had a few weaknesses and few people at the party had not worked sincerely. This time we will place candidates in all the constituencies."

He further said that the Assembly elections that were held early this year were not just a tussle between the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP), but AIMIM was also a factor.

Khan claimed that the SP is against Muslims and is a reason behind the backwardness of the community in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

"SP is not against us but they are against Muslims. If Muslims are in a backward position in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, then it is because of Samajwadi. AIMIM might have lost the assembly election but not the spirit, but will fight stronger and this time we will win more seats than last time. We will fight the election in the whole state from Ghaziabad to Ghazipur," he said.