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In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, Masood said Akhilesh Yadav will have to ‘show a big heart’, adding that the alliance has a chance if finalised by October.
Congress MP Imran Masood. (Image: PTI)
Imran Masood’s appointment as the Congress’s working president in Uttar Pradesh has triggered sharp political reactions, with the BJP calling it an attempt at Muslim appeasement as well as a message to the Samajwadi Party, with which Masood has locked horns on several occasions recently.
The Saharanpur MP caught up with CNN-News18 for a free-wheeling chat on his party’s prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections, its equation with the SP and his allegations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, just before his new responsibility was announced.
Excerpts
You have been speaking in a way that has been termed as proof of a rift with INDIA bloc alliance partner Samajwadi Party. The BJP has been highlighting your comments repeatedly. Is there a problem between the Congress and the SP?
There is no rift. The BJP should not worry about us. The BJP is in the fray only because of the Election Commission of India. The ECI supports them, so they feel empowered. Otherwise, the ground reality is that everyone is fed up with the BJP. The true picture is revealing itself now.
What is the true picture?
The way the ECI is working, it is apparent that they are trying to steal the elections. It happened in Bengal and Bihar.
At A Glance
Imran Masood was appointed as the Congress’s working president in Uttar Pradesh.
Masood caught up with CNN-News18 for a chat before his new responsibility was announced.
Masood stated that if the SP and Congress had coordinated in the last election, results would have been different.
Masood believes that if the alliance is finalized by October, they have a chance in UP.
Masood highlighted sugarcane farming and unemployment as big issues in western UP polls.
But where does your equation with the SP stand?
In the last election, if the SP and Congress had managed to coordinate, the results would have been different. It is not easy to fight these people (BJP). They use saam, daam, dand, bhed — all tactics. No morality, no rules are adhered to. No political traditions are followed. They use every means to win. So, you will have to prepare accordingly and muster your resources accordingly.
But Akhilesh Yadav says that winnability must be the criterion for seats, not tradition.
A winnability certificate can be given only by the Election Commission. Congress is like sodium — which can put water in water (which can set water on fire). Congress might appear small, but it plays a big role. It acts like a catalyst. Congress is a shield; if you remove it, only you stand to lose.
Look at what happened in Bengal. A boy like Mamata ji is the leader of the country. (there are few leaders in the country who fight as hard as Mamata Banerjee)… but look at what happened. Even Mamata ji is saying it today, na (that there is a need to join hands with Congress). What Mamata ji is saying today, you should not be forced to say tomorrow. Hence, it is important to come to a decision while there is still time.
Akhilesh Yadav will have to show a big heart. Ultimately, he will benefit in UP. If the alliance is finalised by October, we have a chance.
Are both you and the SP, especially in western Uttar Pradesh, fighting to consolidate your Muslim vote bank?
Politics is not possible in this day and age by relying only on Muslims. The mechanism that the BJP has created has made Muslims irrelevant. Every time Muslim consolidation happens, the BJP will win. Polarisation on any issue would lead to the maximum loss for Muslims.
So, will it be a caste coalition and not communal politics?
Congress is not trying to forge any caste-based coalition. Congress belongs to all — forwards, backwards, Dalits and minorities. Congress values every citizen and stands to protect the rights of all citizens equally.
What, according to you, is the big issue in western UP polls this time?
Western UP depends on sugarcane farming. But look at the way farmers here are being duped. The price of sugar is threefold, but sugarcane farmers are not getting their due.
Unemployment is a big issue. The government has deliberately stopped issuing unemployment data because it would lead to more unrest. But the anecdotal evidence is there for everyone to see. Engineering graduates and postgraduates are driving cabs and becoming delivery boys.
You talk of unemployment, while the BJP showcases governance. On the issue of law and order, UP CM Yogi’s record is highlighted.
I don’t understand how the crime situation has improved in UP. Look at the NCRB data. They say that in the past few years, crime has gone up in Uttar Pradesh compared with the previous decade.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Imran Masood likened Congress to sodium and a protective shield, warning that removing it would result in losses. He emphasized that Akhilesh Yadav needs to show a big heart and finalize the alliance by October for a chance at success in Uttar Pradesh.
Ask News18About the Author
Arunima is Editor (Home Affairs) and covers strategic, security and political affairs. From the Ukraine-Russia War to the India-China stand-off in Ladakh to India-Pak clashes, she has reported from gr…Read More
October 03, 2026, 2:44 PM IST
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