All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations that AIMIM fields candidates wherever Congress contests BJP by taking money from the saffron party, asking how much it took to back the UPA government in 2008 on the nuclear deal with the US.

In a post on X, Owaisi while taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi’s defeat from the Amethi Lok Sabha Constituency, questioned him “Did you lose the Amethi election for free or did you get paid?”

“Someone please tell dear Rahul Gandhi, how much money did we take to support the UPA in 2008 on the nuclear deal with the US? In Andhra, how much money was spent to support Kiran Kumar Reddy’s government during the no-confidence motion.? How much money did I get to convince Jagan Mohan Reddy to support Pranab Mukherjee for the presidential post?” Owaisi wrote in Hindi.

“Since 2014, till now, you have only lost, I am not responsible for this,” he added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday made a major claim against Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM stating that ‘the party fields candidates by taking money from BJP’ wherever Congress contests BJP.

“Wherever we go to fight the elections… Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tripura, wherever Congress party fights with BJP, AIMIM party takes money from BJP and puts up candidates there,” he said while addressing a poll rally at Kalwakurthy in Telangana.
Notably, the AIMIM has never contested elections in Assam and Tripura and is contesting assembly elections for the first time in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Further, Owaisi, through a couplet of distinguished Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib, jibed at the Wayanad MP, saying that the leader rants and raves in ecstasy.

“bak raha huun junun men kya kya kuchh, kuchh na samjhe khuda kare koi,” wrote Owaisi which means – Lord I pray that no one comprehends, all that I rant and rave in ecstasy.
Telangana will go for Assembly elections on November 30 and counting of votes, along with those of four other poll-bound states, has been scheduled for December 3.