Cong-SP fight out in open? BJP shares video of ‘full-blown’ public spat between Masood and SP leader

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday stepped up its attack on the INDIA bloc alliance in Uttar Pradesh, after a viral video showed a Congress Parliamentarian and a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator engaging in open verbal altercation at a public event.

The video, shared by BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari captures the Congress MP and SP neta engaged in a full-blown public spat, highlighting the tensions with the Opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

In the video, going viral on X, Congress MP Imran Masood could be seen exchanging diatribes with the SP leader namely Ashu Malik during a public meeting in Saharanpur. The heated exchange reportedly erupted after Masood objected to interruptions and insisted that speakers follow the proceedings of the meeting.

The heated political exchange between two allies of INDIA block brings the spotlight back on the internal differences and bickering, thereby raising concerns over their electoral alliance and seat-sharing arrangements ahead of 2027 Assembly elections.

Sharing the video, Bhandari said, “Rahul Gandhi – Akhilesh Yadav’s party fighting among each other! SP–CONGRESS ALLIANCE TURNS INTO A FULL-BLOWN FIGHT! This is the state of ‘Mahagathbandhan’.”

He further posted an exchange from the video in which an SP MLA was heard saying, “Hey you… We haven’t come here to eat pakoras!” to which Masood replied, “Who’s feeding you pakoras here?”

Bhandari described the exchange as “Pakoras vs taunts” and used it to target the Opposition’s prospects in Uttar Pradesh.

“Those who are busy fighting among each other can never win the trust of the people of Uttar Pradesh,” he said, adding that the state would “yet again reject this SP Congress Opposition”.

The embarrassing development comes at a time when the Congress and SP are preparing for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and seeking to maintain coordination against the BJP.

Congress has been pushing for early seat-sharing discussions with the SP. The latest confrontation has added to questions over the ability of the two parties to maintain unity at the state level.

The SP and Congress had joined hands in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, with the Opposition alliance performing strongly in the state. The SP won 37 seats and the Congress six, giving the alliance a significant presence in the country’s most politically important state.

The 2027 Assembly election is expected to be a major contest between the ruling BJP-led alliance and the Opposition, with the SP seeking to build on its 2024 performance and the Congress attempting to expand its organisational footprint. Recent reports indicate that differences over seat-sharing remain an important issue even as both parties signal an interest in continuing their alliance.

–IANS

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