Lucknow: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, has enrolled one lakh members in Uttar Pradesh. MIM MLA Ahmed Pasha Quadri told reporters that the party was making inroads into UP at the behest of scores of Muslims and Dalits who were feeling cheated by the ruling Samajwadi Party.



“We have started our online membership drive and the party has already enlisted the support of people in 49 districts, with booth-level committees already functional in nearly 15 districts of the state,” said Lucknow convener of MIM, Shaukat Ali.



He said that the ruling Samajwadi Party was already nervous at the prospect of the MIM making a political debut in UP and it was because of this that permission was repeatedly being denied to MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi to hold rallies in Azamgarh.



“MIM workers are being subjected to undue harassment by the state government. Our focus is on integrating Muslims and Dalits in the state and solving their basic problems. We will not be deterred by such tactics. We are raising the need for reservation for Muslims and Dalits. We have a right to work in UP,” said Mr Qadri. The party is gearing up to contest the 2017 assembly elections in the state.