Former legislator Imran Masood is set to rejoin the Congress party, describing it as his 'Ghar Vapsi' and praising Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for their efforts in "saving democracy". Masood was expelled from the BSP earlier this year for anti-party activities. He has a strong vote base in several Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.
Former legislator Imran Masood will rejoin the Congress at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office in Delhi on Saturday (October 7). Speaking over phone, Masood, who was expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) earlier this year, described it as his ‘Ghar Vapsi’ and appreciated the efforts Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were making “for saving democracy”.
Former legislator Imran Masood was expelled from BSP in August this year. (Ht file)
“After consultation with my supporters, I decided to go back to the Congress,” he said. Masood, an influential Muslim leader from Saharanpur district in western Uttar Pradesh, joined the BSP after the 2022 assembly elections. However, he was expelled from the BSP for any-party activities in August this year. Before the 2022 assembly elections, Masood had defected from the Congress to the Samajwadi Party.
Masood, 52, contested his first election for the post of Saharanpur Nagar Palika Parishad chairman in 2001 and lost. He, however, won the election in 2006. In the 2007 U.P. assembly polls, he was elected an independent MLA from Muzaffarabad constituency (now Behat). He thereafter joined the Congress in 2013. As per political experts, he has a good vote base in Kairana, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor Lok Sabha constituencies.