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With the Uttar Pradesh elections due in February next year, Congress leader Imran Masood on Tuesday dismissed the possibility of an alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, saying that it was necessary to fight both kinds of "communalisms".
"If we have to fight with communalism, then we will have to fight with both the communalisms. It cannot happen that you abuse one communalism and join hands with the other. We will have to fight with both," Masood told ANI. On the other hand, he emphasised the need for unity among opposition parties. He said that it was "time to fight unitedly", especially after the election results in West Bengal. Amid efforts to identify seats and seal the deal on seat-sharing between Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP), both INDIA bloc constituents, Masood said such decisions are made during an open dialogue. "I don't understand both asking and giving. It is decided by sitting at a table. After Bengal, now is not the time to think. It is time to fight unitedly. The party leadership will decide," he said. Masood also maintained that Congress would not compromise its autonomy and would have full authority over its candidate selection process. "We will decide the candidates for the Congress. No other party will tell us which candidates we should field," he said When asked about the alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, Masood said it was necessary to fight both kinds of "communalisms". "If we have to fight with communalism, then we will have to fight with both the communalisms. It cannot happen that you abuse one communalism and join hands with the other. We will have to fight with both," he said. Owaisi on Monday said that his party is open to political alliances to "prevent" the Bharatiya Janata Party from returning to power in the Uttar Pradesh 2027 Assembly elections. Speaking to ANI, Owaisi clarified that while he is open to partnering with other opposition groups, any such arrangement must be built on a foundation of mutual respect and fair representation. "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," he said. Uttar Pradesh will hold the next Assembly elections in 2027 with a major contest expected between the two most prominent parties, i.e., Bharatiya Janata Party and Samajwadi Party. In the current session, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 elected members, 258 of whom are from the Bhartiya Janata Party, 107 from the Samajwadi Party, and 13 from the Apna Dal. In addition, Rastriya Lok Dal has nine; the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party has six; the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal has five; Jansatta Dal Loktantrik and Congress have two; and the Bahujan Samaj Party has only one representative. (ANI)
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