'Finalise Alliance Immediately': Congress MP Imran Masood Urges Akhilesh Yadav

Imran Masood Urges Akhilesh Yadav to Finalise Alliance

Congress MP Imran Masood has called on Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav to finalise the Congress-SP alliance for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections without further delay.

Speaking to ANI on September 21, Masood said that if the two parties intend to contest the election together, the alliance should be finalised soon. He added that otherwise the Congress would proceed with its own preparations.

Masood's remarks come amid ongoing discussions about seat-sharing and the timing of formal negotiations between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

'Finalise It Immediately,' Says Masood

Masood said an alliance should be settled quickly if both parties are committed to working together.

He argued that uncertainty could create difficulties for party workers and candidates preparing at the constituency level.

According to Masood, the Congress would otherwise have to begin making independent preparations for the 2027 election. He also said that the political situation required the Congress to remain central to any opposition strategy against the BJP.

His comments represent his position within the ongoing alliance discussion and do not constitute a final seat-sharing decision by either party.

Congress-SP Alliance Already Announced in Principle

The Congress and Samajwadi Party have publicly indicated that they intend to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections together.

A September 21 report said both parties' leadership remains committed to an alliance, but differences have emerged over when and how seat-sharing discussions should be concluded.

The immediate issue is therefore not simply whether the parties want to cooperate, but how they will divide constituencies and organise their campaign.

Seat-Sharing Has Become a Key Issue

Seat-sharing is emerging as one of the main issues in the Congress-SP discussions.

Congress leaders have sought an early agreement so that the party can identify the constituencies it will contest and begin candidate selection and organisational preparations.

The Samajwadi Party, meanwhile, has been reported to prefer completing its own organisational preparations before finalising the seat-sharing arrangement.

The difference in approach has created uncertainty about when formal negotiations will take place.

SP Preparing for All 403 Seats

The Samajwadi Party has also been preparing for the possibility of contesting all 403 Uttar Pradesh Assembly constituencies if an alliance arrangement encounters difficulties.

Recent reports said the SP has begun preparations across the state while discussions with the Congress remain unresolved.

Such preparations do not necessarily mean that the SP has abandoned the alliance. Rather, they provide the party with an organisational base and candidate options while the seat-sharing question remains open.

Congress Also Wants Early Clarity

For the Congress, early clarity on the alliance would allow the party to determine where it should concentrate its organisational resources.

Masood has reportedly said that the Congress wants the number of seats and constituencies to be finalised by October.

The Congress has also indicated that it wants greater say in identifying the constituencies it would contest rather than simply accepting a list determined by the SP.

This makes seat selection and bargaining over constituencies central to the next stage of the alliance process.

What Did Masood Say About Rahul Gandhi?

Masood also referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while arguing for an alliance.

He said Rahul Gandhi's leadership could take on the BJP and maintained that the Congress remained necessary to the opposition strategy.

These comments reflect Masood's argument for maintaining and strengthening cooperation between the Congress and the SP rather than contesting separately.

Masood Warns Against Delay

Masood said that if an agreement is delayed, the resulting uncertainty could affect preparations on the ground.

Political parties generally need time to identify candidates, organise workers, conduct constituency-level outreach and coordinate campaign structures.

For an election involving 403 Assembly seats, an early understanding on seat-sharing could therefore affect the practical organisation of a joint campaign.

Masood Also Comments on AIMIM

Masood also commented on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's proposal for an anti-BJP alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

He cautioned voters against Owaisi's offer and argued that AIMIM's presence could benefit the BJP in some constituencies. He said Muslims alone could not defeat the BJP and argued that a broader political alliance was necessary.

These are Masood's political assertions rather than an independently established assessment of the possible electoral effect of AIMIM's participation.

Akhilesh Yadav's Recent Position

Akhilesh Yadav has continued to focus on preparations for the 2027 Assembly election.

At an SP state executive meeting, Yadav said the party would work to increase its vote count across every Assembly constituency and criticised the BJP-led government over issues including law and order.

The SP has also previously stated that it intends to contest the 2027 election as part of the INDIA bloc.

Congress and SP Have Worked Together Before

The Congress and Samajwadi Party were allies in the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh as part of the INDIA bloc.

The two parties' cooperation during that election provides the immediate political background to the current discussions over the 2027 Assembly election.

However, Assembly elections involve a different constituency structure and require detailed seat-level negotiations, making seat-sharing a more complex issue.

Why Seat-Sharing Is Difficult in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh has 403 Assembly constituencies, making the division of seats between alliance partners a substantial organisational exercise.

Each party has its own local leaders, potential candidates and areas where it wants to contest.

Reports have indicated that both parties are seeking to strengthen their bargaining positions before formalising the arrangement.

The Congress has reportedly prepared a list of more than 150 constituencies it would like to contest, although the SP has not publicly confirmed that formal seat-sharing talks have taken place.

Other Opposition Parties in the Picture

The Congress-SP discussions are taking place alongside separate political developments involving other opposition parties.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has publicly sought an alliance with the SP, while Azad Samaj Party leader Chandrashekhar Azad has also indicated openness to cooperation.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, however, has ruled out an alliance with either the Congress or the Samajwadi Party, according to current reports.

These developments add to the range of possible political alignments ahead of the 2027 election.

Congress-SP Alliance: Current Position

IssueCurrent positionElection2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly electionCongress positionWants alliance finalised earlySP positionPreparing organisationally while timing remains under discussionKey issueSeat-sharingAssembly seats403Imran Masood's messageFinalise alliance or Congress prepares independentlyAkhilesh YadavHas backed cooperation with Congress/INDIA blocFormal seat-sharing dealNot yet finalisedOther alliance approachesAIMIM and other opposition groups have expressed interest

What Happens Next?

The immediate focus will be on whether the Congress and SP begin formal seat-sharing negotiations and how quickly they can agree on the constituencies each party will contest.

The Congress is seeking an early arrangement, while the SP has been reported to prefer continuing its preparations before finalising the agreement.

Until a formal seat-sharing arrangement is announced, both parties may continue preparing independently while maintaining their stated intention of contesting the election together.

Bottom Line

Congress MP Imran Masood has urged Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to finalise the alliance immediately ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Masood said the Congress would proceed with its own preparations if an agreement is not reached and warned that delays could affect constituency-level preparations.

The Congress and SP have both indicated that they intend to contest the 2027 election together, but seat-sharing and the timing of formal negotiations remain unresolved. The SP is also preparing across Uttar Pradesh, including for the possibility of contesting all 403 seats if necessary.

The next major step will be a formal agreement on seat allocation and constituency-level coordination. Until that happens, Masood's call represents a demand for an early decision rather than a final alliance arrangement.