LUCKNOW: Amid talks of a possible alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress ahead of the 2017 assembly elections , top Muslim leaders and clercis from leading seminaries are looking forward for a Bihar-like ‘gathbandhan’ in Uttar Pradesh to stall the BJP from coming to power.Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind’s national president Maulana Arshad Madani said that Muslims in the state would support an alliance of secular parties in the state. "A Bihar-like ‘gathbandhan’ will help to keep the BJP away from power in UP," said Madani in Aligarh. "The alliance between Nitish and Lalu has already proved that such pacts can work to keep communal forces at bay," tthe JUH chief said.The JUH happens to be one of the top Muslim organisations in the country which has significant influence onver the community in Uttar Pradesh because of its initiatives in the field of Islamic education through a chain of madarssas and special programmes for the economically weaker sections of the society in general and the community in particular.Top clerics in Deoband, including some who are closely associated with the leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, also aired similar views. "The SP-Congress alliance will not only improve the prospects of the two political outfits but will also offer a strong option for the Muslim community to side with in order to keep the BJP away," said a senior cleric from Deoband. Any such combination would certainly help the Muslims to proceed with a clear target in sight, he said. Many top clerics in the region admitted that in the absence of the SP-Congress alliance, the community vote was likley to get scattered among the SP, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress which in turn will benefit the BJP in a big way.Possibilities of an SP-Congress alliance has already rattled BSP chief Mayawati as any such alignment is expected to have a direct impact on Muslims which constitute almost 19% of the electorate -- a vote share which can make or break Mayawati's political fortunes in the upcoming polls. No wonder, on Monday Mayawati not only cautioned the Muslim community to stay away from any such alliance but also asked them to vote for the BSP.