NEW DELHI: Congress MP Imran Masood on Wednesday hit out at Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav, asking him to be generous with the seat-sharing arrangement between the parties for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls if "he wants to be the Chief Minister and cited that the former had done the same in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls".
Reacting on Samajwadi Party leaders' remarks that the alliance will not be decided by Imran Masood and rather by SP Chief Yadav and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Imran Masood said: "I never said anything like that. When did I say that? I speak about the Congress party."
Targeting the Samajwadi Party, Masood added: "If you are shouting 'gathbandhan', then bring it to the ground. If you don't bring it to the ground and it only exists on TV and in statements, then what is the meaning of that alliance? That is not honesty. If you want to do it honestly, sit down and finalise it. I am not opposed to the alliance. I speak about strengthening the Congress party. I speak about the Congress. I never spoke about them (Samajwadi Party). I am being targeted only because I speak. There is nothing more to it."
Emphasising that the alliance decisions on part of the Congress will be taken by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress MP said: "I am just providing the figures...In 2014, the Samajwadi Party contested alone and won five seats. In 2019, the Samajwadi Party and BSP fought in an alliance and won five seats. In 2024, because of a change due to the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', which created an atmosphere...by joining hands with Rahul ji, we (the alliance) won 37 seats."
"So, conclusion can be drawn from this itself...the situation is clear," he added and asserted that the country "wants the leadership of Rahul Gandhi".
Referring to the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the Congress MP questioned the Samajwadi Party, "Then why did you win 37 seats, and why were we given just 17 seats to contest from? At that time, you could have allowed us to contest from 60 seats."
"It was being said that Rahul Gandhi would become the Prime Minister (if Opposition alliance won in 2024), we should keep a big heart... following the same, we contested from just 17 seats," Masood added.
Addressing SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav, the Congress MP said: "Now, if you want to become Chief Minister, you should show the same generosity."
Meanwhile, BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh claimed that the Congress would be "wiped out" if it contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls without being in an alliance with the SP.
"Circumstances keep changing. These parties have contested elections together in alliances before as well. Here, the base is of the Samajwadi Party. Now, if Congress feels that it has become very strong, then if it contests without the Samajwadi Party, it will be completely wiped out," he told IANS.
