Muslim support is with Akhilesh, contends Samajwadi Party on Imran Masood rejoining Congress

The SP said there is a wave for its party president Akhilesh Yadav in the Muslim community.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Sunday played down the re-entry of former MLA Imran Masood to the Congress by stating that the Muslim community stands firmly with the SP.

Mr. Masood is considered an influential Muslim face from western Uttar Pradesh. He was expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in August apparently for praising Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. On Saturday, he rejoined the Congress over a year and a half after quitting the party ahead of the 2022 Assembly election.

The SP said there is a wave for its party president Akhilesh Yadav in the Muslim community, adding that many leaders from other parties are joining the party as it is a natural process before elections.

“It is an internal matter of the Congress party. They are free to induct anyone. As far as the Muslim community is concerned, it is with the SP in huge numbers and likes the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav,” said Rajeev Rai, SP national spokesperson.

On asked whether the induction of new leaders would complicate seat sharing talks in the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc of which both the SP and Congress are a part, the SP dismissed it. “It will have no impact on any seat sharing negotiation,” said Sunil Singh Yadav ‘Sajan’, a senior SP leader and a close aide of party president Akhilesh Yadav.

Mr. Masood, who won the 2007 Assembly election from Muzaffarabad seat as an independent candidate but lost the last four times at the hustings including the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary election from Saharanpur, is still considered an influential figure among the Muslim voters in western U.P.’s three parliamentary seats - Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Kairana - which have a high minority electorate. His re-entry is seen as an attempt by the grand-old party to make inroads among the community.

The BJP dubbed Mr. Masood a “stockist of hate” in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s narrative of “love and harmony” (Mohabbat Ki Dukaan) hinting at the alleged controversial statement made by the former MLA against then BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, while contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha seat from Saharanpur.