After splitting from Samajwadi Party (SP), Bareilvi cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan will extend his support to strong candidates or political parties against Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in lok Sabha Elections. 

"Several teams have been formed to survey all the 80 parliamentary seats of the state to find out strong candidates or political parties against BJP. The teams will submit reports on Tuesday and announcement of either supporting candidates or political parties would be made after that only," Tauqeer Raza told The Pioneer. 

Cleirc also heads a political party ‘Ittehad Muslimeen Council’ (IMC) which grabbed one seat in Assembly Election 2012. But in the lok Sabha Elections his party will not field any candidate. "Yes! IMC will not be contesting lok Sabha Election from the state as we will use all our might in supporting the candidates who could defeat BJP," he confirmed. 

Recent announcement made by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Supremo, Mayawati of not going in alliance with BJP or NDA had somewhere attracted the attention of Muslim vote bank in the state. Cleric revealed that they had also conducted an online survey to find out strongest political 

party against BJP. In which he found BSP as one of the political party which could defeat BJP in the state. "But it cannot help in making final decision as after clubbing field and online survey any announcement would be made," he added. 

His closeness with AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal cannot be ruled out as now when Kejriwal is likely to contest election against BJP PM Candidate Narendra Modi, the cleric could extend support in Varanasi to AAP. "If Kejriwal will make announcement to contest election from Varanasi then we could announce to support him in Varanasi. Kejriwal has secular thinking and I respect it," shared Raza. 

It is more likely that the cleric could make announcement on ednesday that he will support strong candidates against BJP irrespective of which had fielded them or just political party.