Defending Saharanpur MP Imran Masood's remarks, U.P. Congress chief says the INDIA bloc is united

The Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc is united in Uttar Pradesh, and statements made by Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Saharanpur Imran Masood were not against the INDIA bloc, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai said on Wednesday. The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress would fight the 2027 Assembly election together, Mr. Rai said.
'Imran Masood-ji's statements are not against the INDIA bloc or contrary to the [Congress] party. He is not saying that the alliance should not remain in U.P. We (the Congress and the SP) will together fight the Assembly election in 2027,' Mr. Rai told The Hindu, when asked about SP president Akhilesh Yadav's remark that 'those wishing to leave the INDIA alliance could go'. Mr. Yadav appeared to be hinting at Mr. Masood's statements over the SP-Congress alliance in the State.
On more than one occasion in the past four weeks, including while speaking to The Hindu in May, Mr. Masood has maintained that the Congress-SP seat sharing formula for the Lok Sabha election would not work for the 2027 U.P. Assembly election, while he has pushed for the INDIA alliance to operate on 'equal terms'.
'We will sit and decide, our central leadership will take the call,' Mr. Rai said in response to a question on Mr. Masood's persistent stand on a reset in seat sharing.
'I have nothing to do with the statement given by anyone. Our alliance is intact. Those who want to leave the INDIA alliance can go,' Mr. Yadav said on Tuesday in response to a question from a media person. The question pertained to Mr. Masood's remarks on a reset in seat sharing between the SP and the Congress for the 2027 Assembly election in U.P.
'It's good that after my statements, he (Mr. Yadav) is meeting people of the Pasmanda and other Muslim communities,' Mr. Masood said, adding. 'I have nothing to do with Akhilesh-ji. I am a Congress worker.'

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