LUCKNOW, Feb. 14 -- A year before of the 2027 assembly elections, former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Nasimuddin Siddiqui, who quit the Congress on January 24, will join the Samajwadi Party (SP) along with 15 former ministers, ex-MLAs and a large number of supporters. The induction, scheduled for February 15, is being described as one of the biggest political joinings in Uttar Pradesh in the run-up to the polls. Siddiqui's entry will be a significant boost for the SP before the electoral battle in Uttar Pradesh. "I will join the SP on Sunday," said Siddiqui who met SP leaders during the day. "I have no grudge with anyone even in Congress. I just wanted to work and found the opportunity is not possible in the Congress," he said. Both the Congress and the SP are part of the Opposition INDIA bloc. With the prominent Muslim leader leaving the party, the move is being seen as a political setback for the Congress, which has in the past claimed that its presence in an alliance ensures consolidation of Muslim votes. Asked about his role in the SP, Siddiqui, a former minister in the Bahujan Samaj Party government, said, "Now, it is up to the SP leadership to decide. I am joining with 100 more on the day that includes over a dozen former MLAs." Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakrul Hasan Chand confirmed that Siddiqui, former BSP minister Anis Mohd alias Phool Babu, and a former Apna Dal state office bearer will join the SP in the presence of Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav on February 15. Uttar Pradesh Congress incharge Avinash Pandey said, "He is a senior leader with a long and effective political career and I wish him good luck. We tried to stop him. We are working and will continue to work for the people as the Congress has many senior leaders. The only concern is his decision should be fruitful for him." Regarded as one of the most influential Muslim faces in Uttar Pradesh politics, Siddiqui has had a long and eventful political journey in Uttar Pradesh. His political base extended across regions like Bundelkhand, and he played a strategic role in managing party affairs and electoral campaigns. His shift will strengthen the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak - Backwards, Dalits, and Minorities) plank for the SP. Siddiqui rose to prominence as a key leader of the BSP, served in important ministerial roles when the party was in power in 2007-2012 and handled major portfolios such as public works department (PWD), excise and health. However, in May 2017, after internal differences with Mayawati, he was expelled from the BSP, marking a major turning point in his career. Following his exit, Siddiqui floated his own party, the National Bahujan Alliance, though it did not achieve significant electoral success. With assembly polls due in 2027, the political stakes are high. In 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 255 of 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh. It won 312 seats in 2017. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP's tally in the state dropped to 33 from 62 in 2019, while the SP emerged as the largest gainer with 37 seats....