Syed Asim Waqar, senior leader and chief spokesperson of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), resigned from the party on Wednesday, 2 September and formally joined the Indian National Congress at its Uttar Pradesh headquarters in Lucknow. The switch comes ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and is being projected by Congress as a significant organisational gain in a state it has long struggled to reclaim.

How the Joining Unfolded

Waqar was welcomed into the Congress fold in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam, state Congress president Ajay Rai, and Congress Minority Department chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi. Senior leaders described Waqar as an 'articulate speaker' whose outlook aligned with the party's stated vision under Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Waqar's Charge: AIMIM Working in BJP's Interest

Explaining his departure, Waqar alleged that AIMIM, despite publicly positioning itself against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was operating on the ground in ways that weakened parties directly challenging the BJP. He characterised this as a 'tacit deal' — an understanding between the Asaduddin Owaisi-led outfit and the ruling party.

Waqar drew a parallel with West Bengal, citing former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Humayun Kabir, who, he alleged, had formed a party and raised the issue of rebuilding the Babri Masjid in a manner that reportedly benefited the BJP. He further claimed that Kabir had admitted during a sting operation to receiving ₹1,100 crore from the BJP — an allegation that has not been independently verified and which NationPress is unable to corroborate from official sources.

What Congress Leaders Said

Gautam said Waqar's ideas were in sync with Congress and Rahul Gandhi's vision for the country. State president Ajay Rai expressed confidence that the Congress flag would fly in every village and street across Uttar Pradesh by the time the 2027 polls arrive.

Imran Pratapgarhi said the party was being strengthened through Rahul Gandhi's 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' campaign and indicated that more prominent figures would join Congress in the coming weeks.

Why This Matters for UP Politics

Uttar Pradesh, with its 403 Assembly seats, is the single largest electoral prize in Indian state politics. Congress has been a marginal force in the state for over three decades, and the party is visibly working to rebuild minority outreach ahead of 2027. AIMIM has contested UP seats in previous cycles, and its critics — including now Waqar — argue that its candidacies split the anti-BJP vote rather than consolidate it. This is not the first time such an allegation has been levelled at the party; opposition voices in Bihar and Hyderabad have made similar charges in past election cycles.

Whether Waqar's profile as a television-facing spokesperson translates into ground-level mobilisation for Congress in UP remains to be seen. The party's 2027 campaign is still taking shape, and this joining is one early signal of its minority outreach strategy.