AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed readiness to ally with opposition parties if treated with respect and equal status to stop BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
The Congress and the Samajwadi Party have taken differing positions on the prospect of an alliance with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, exposing contrasting approaches within the opposition INDIA bloc as it seeks to regroup after a series of electoral setbacks.
Congress MP Imran Masood on Sunday said any decision on AIMIM joining the INDIA bloc would be taken by the party’s central leadership, but stressed there could be “no compromise with communalism”.
“It will not be possible to oppose communalism on one side and strengthen communalism on the other. The fight is between Modi and Rahul Gandhi. There is no middle ground. Only Rahul Gandhi has the power to defeat the BJP,” Masood said. “Therefore, those who want to defeat the BJP should join Rahul Gandhi and support him.”
Masood’s remarks come as the opposition alliance reassesses its strategy after suffering major defeats in Delhi, Bihar and West Bengal over the past year. In Delhi and Bengal, INDIA bloc constituents Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress suffered heavy losses, while the BJP and its ally Janata Dal (United) secured comfortable victories in Bihar.
Leaders of the INDIA bloc met in Delhi last week to review the alliance’s future direction. At the meeting, Rahul Gandhi urged partners to remain united despite recent setbacks, arguing that defeating the BJP would be easier if opposition parties stood together.
Gandhi also cautioned alliance partners, including the Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party, that traditional political strategies and campaign methods may no longer be effective. “These only worked when the State provides a fair playing field… That field does not exist anymore,” he said.
Reiterating the Congress’ role within the alliance, Gandhi said the party was prepared to “swallow all the poison” spread by the BJP as it continued to lead the opposition’s fight against the ruling party.
However, a contrasting view appears to be gaining traction among some INDIA bloc leaders, favouring a broader anti-BJP coalition that could include Owaisi’s AIMIM.
Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav welcomed any political force capable of weakening the BJP. “Whoever defeats the BJP is welcome,” he said when asked about the possibility of an understanding with AIMIM in Uttar Pradesh.
Owaisi, meanwhile, said his party was open to joining hands with other opposition parties to prevent the BJP from returning to power in the state.
