New Delhi

With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections approaching, senior Congress leader Imran Masood has firmly rejected the possibility of an alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, arguing that the opposition must oppose "all forms of communalism."

Speaking to ANI, Masood said Congress could not selectively oppose one kind of communal politics while aligning with another.

"If we have to fight communalism, then we will have to fight both kinds of communalism. It cannot happen that you abuse one communalism and join hands with the other," he said.

At the same time, Masood underlined the importance of opposition unity, particularly in the backdrop of recent political developments in West Bengal.

"After Bengal, now is not the time to think. It is time to fight unitedly," he said, adding that decisions on alliances and seat-sharing would ultimately be taken by the party leadership.

Congress to decide its own candidates

As discussions continue between Congress and the Samajwadi Party over a possible seat-sharing arrangement within the INDIA bloc, Masood asserted that Congress would retain complete control over selecting its candidates.

"We will decide the candidates for the Congress. No other party will tell us which candidates we should field," he said.

He also dismissed the notion of parties "asking" for seats, saying such matters are settled through dialogue.

"It is decided by sitting at a table," he remarked.

Owaisi open to alliance

Masood's comments came a day after AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi signalled his willingness to enter into an alliance aimed at preventing the BJP from returning to power in Uttar Pradesh.

Owaisi told ANI that AIMIM was prepared to work with opposition parties, provided it was treated with "respect" and given an "equal status" in any coalition arrangement.

"We are prepared to form an alliance to prevent the BJP from returning to power in Uttar Pradesh, provided we are treated with respect and accorded equal status within that alliance," Owaisi said.

UP political landscape

Uttar Pradesh is expected to witness another high-stakes contest in the 2027 Assembly elections, primarily between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP).

In the current 403-member Assembly:

• BJP holds 258 seats,
• Samajwadi Party has 107 members,
• Apna Dal (S) has 13,
• Rashtriya Lok Dal has 9,
• Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party has 6,
• Nishad Party has 5,
• Jansatta Dal Loktantrik and Congress have 2 seats each, and
• Bahujan Samaj Party is represented by one MLA.

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Masood's remarks suggest that while Congress remains committed to opposition unity through the INDIA bloc framework, it is unwilling to expand that alliance to include AIMIM ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh battle.