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Masood’s ouster from BSP may trigger fight for Muslim votes in west UP
The clout of Imran and his family among the Muslim community may help the INDIA alliance give a tough fight to the NDA led by BJP, and the BSP in the west UP, says political observer
LUCKNOW The expulsion of former MLA Imran Masood from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is likely to trigger a fight for Muslim votes in western Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Masood’s family enjoys influence over the Muslim community in Saharanpur and adjoining districts. His uncle Rasheed Masood had been victorious from Saharanpur Lok Sabha seat for five terms - on the Janata Party ticket in 1977/1980, Janata Dal ticket in 1989/1991 and the Samajwadi Party ticket in 2004. Imran Masood secured victory from Muzaffarabad assembly seat (renamed Behat after delimitation) as an independent candidate in the 2007 election.
Imran joined the BSP in October 2022. Party chief Mayawati termed his joining a major success for the BSP’s efforts to win the support of the Muslim community. She appointed him party convener for west UP and a special responsibility was entrusted upon him to strengthen the party at every level, especially to connect the Muslim community with the BSP.
To consolidate its hold over the Muslim community, the BSP had fielded his wife Saima Masood for the mayor’s post from Saharanpur Municipal Corporation. The party also worked on the Dalit-Muslim alliance to strengthen its support base in west UP before the 2024 LS election.
The BSP had bagged the Saharanpur seat in 1999, 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
After expulsion from the BSP, Imran Masood said he would call a meeting of supporters to discuss the future political strategy. He is in touch with top Congress leaders and said he will rejoin the party soon. With the homecoming of Imran, the Congress plans to regain its base among the Muslim community in west UP.
The grand old party is also expected to have an upper hand in the bargain of seats with INDIA alliance partners - SP and RLD - in the upcoming LS elections.
Imran had bagged 2.7 lakh votes in the 2019 LS elections, emerging third in the Saharanpur seat. BSP candidate Haji Fazlur Rehman (BSP-SP alliance candidate) won the seat, defeating BJP candidate Raghav Lakhanpal.
The Muslim vote is decisive in deciding the fate of candidates on around a dozen Lok Sabha seats in the Rohilkhand region of west UP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BSP-SP alliance had bagged Saharanpur, Amroha, Bijnore, Rampur and Sambhal Lok Sabha seats. In the 2022 assembly election, out of the five assembly seats in Saharanpur district, the BJP bagged three seats while the SP secured victory on two seats.
The political scenario has changed in the region with the breaking of the BSP-SP alliance and formation of the INDIA alliance. The BSP had announced to go solo in the Lok Sabha election. Azad Samaj Party (ASP) led by Chandrashekhar Azad has influence over Dalit voters in Saharanpur and neighboring districts. Azad is in contact with SP and RLD leaders and is likely to join the INDIA alliance before the LS polls.
The clout of Imran and his family among the Muslim community may help the INDIA alliance give a tough fight to the NDA led by BJP, and the BSP in the west UP, said SK Singh, a political observer.
