A year after the Congress-SP alliance stunned BJP in Uttar Pradesh during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, cracks in the partnership are now widening — and the battle over Muslim votes has become the epicenter of this new political war.

At the heart of the storm is Congress MP Imran Masood, whose recent remarks have rattled the Samajwadi Party (SP). In a bold political gambit, Masood has not only challenged Akhilesh Yadav’s silence on Muslim issues but has also unmasked the SP’s alleged tokenism in minority politics. His aggressive stance has shaken SP’s decades-old Muslim voter base and sparked a backlash, with SP leaders accusing Masood of being a “BJP sleeper cell.”

Rajiv Rai’s 'Sleeper Cell' Jibe Ignites the Conflict

SP’s Rajiv Rai recently triggered the latest confrontation by calling Imran Masood a BJP agent. Rai questioned Masood’s authority to speak on alliance matters, stating he was neither an official Congress spokesperson nor a decision-maker within INDIA bloc. He even went so far as to say that Masood’s statements were indirectly helping the BJP, implying a covert agenda.

Imran Hits Back: “SP Can’t Tolerate Speaking Muslims”

Masood didn’t hold back. He slammed the SP for wanting only "carpet-spreading Muslims” — a sharp critique of what he sees as the party’s preference for compliant minority leaders. In a fiery rebuttal, he asked,
"Will you label every voice of dissent a sleeper cell? Muslims voted for you, but you silenced their voices through FIRs, jail, and marginalization."

Citing names like Azam Khan, Irfan Solanki, Kadir Rana, Zahid Beg, Masood accused the SP of destroying vocal Muslim leadership while conveniently using their vote bank.

“Abdul Will No Longer Just Spread the Carpet”

Masood coined a potent phrase — “Abdul will not just spread the carpet anymore” — to underline a broader Muslim discontent. From the Waqf Amendment Act, dargah demolitions, to the Neza Mela cancellation, he accused SP of maintaining strategic silence on key issues. He asked,
"Where are Muslims in Akhilesh Yadav’s PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak)? Are we only good for voting or will we get representation and rights too?"

Congress Challenges the 17-80 Formula

The political row is also rooted in seat-sharing for the 2027 UP Assembly elections. Masood flatly rejected the 17-80 formula (Congress gets 17, SP 80 seats) and demanded “respectable space” in any future alliance. This has further escalated the tensions, with SP leaders viewing it as a power play by Congress to reclaim lost ground among Muslims.

History of Muslim Voting in UP: A Quick Recap

• 20% of UP’s population is Muslim, influencing 143 out of 403 Assembly seats.

• 43 seats are Muslim-majority — a stronghold for candidates from the community.

• Traditionally, Muslims were Congress loyalists, but the Ram Mandir movement and Babri demolition shifted them to SP and BSP.

• In 2022, 83% Muslims voted for SP, helping it jump from 47 to 111 seats.

• In 2024, Muslims gave 90% of their votes to the Congress-SP alliance.

A Political Beehive for SP

Imran Masood’s strategy seems to be aimed at becoming the undisputed Muslim face of Congress in UP. His hard-hitting questions on SP’s muted stance on Muslim issues, along with his grassroots activism, are putting pressure on SP to either change course or risk alienating a significant vote base.

What This Means for 2027

The Masood-Akhilesh clash is more than a personal spat — it signals a reshaping of Muslim politics in Uttar Pradesh. As Congress prepares to reclaim lost territory and SP tries to hold on to its fortress, Muslim voters may emerge as the kingmakers once again.

The next few months could determine whether this rift leads to a complete breakdown of the INDIA alliance in UP, or a recalibrated political strategy ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. Either way, Imran Masood has ensured that Muslim politics in UP won’t remain silent any longer.