All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has renewed his pitch for an Opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh, saying his party does not want the BJP to return to power in the state for a third consecutive term and is ready to join hands with parties seeking to defeat it.“We have told all political parties, if you wish to stop the BJP from returning to power, then come and join hands with the AIMIM. Together, you and I will prevent ‘Baba’ from becoming the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh again,” Owaisi said in Kanpur while addressing a gathering, referring to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.Owaisi said his party would announce its alliance for the UP elections on October 2 and contest the polls alongside its chosen partners.“We will wait until October 2, and then, whoever we form an alliance with, we will announce it on that very day and contest the UP elections alongside them,” he said.Taking a swipe at parties that had rejected his alliance proposals in the past, Owaisi said his repeated appeals should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness.“If members of any political party mistake my repeated statements for a sign of weakness, I wish to tell them, with the utmost respect, that this silence is merely the calm before the storm. Do not mistake it for weakness,” he said.Owaisi also referred to the Bihar elections, claiming that his party had proposed contesting six seats together but that the proposal was rejected. He alleged that Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party subsequently fielded three to four Muslim MPs in the Seemanchal region.“You rejected my proposal during the Bihar elections, when we asked for six seats so we could contest together. But you mocked us and levelled false accusations against the AIMIM and me,” Owaisi said.Referring to the electoral response in Seemanchal, he claimed that voters rejected what he described as allegations against the AIMIM and backed his party.He specifically mentioned Kishanganj, Katihar and Araria, saying, “You fielded your Muslim MPs in Kishanganj, Katihar, and Araria, but I salute the daughters, mothers, and sisters of Seemanchal.”Owaisi said the experience had reinforced his belief that the AIMIM could play a role in future electoral alliances.The crucial state of Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls early next year.