Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow
Lucknow, Oct 24: Seat-sharing differences between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress are reportedly intensifying ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with Akhilesh Yadav's party considering allocating around 60 to 70 seats to its ally, according to sources.
The Congress, however, is seeking a significantly larger share and has reportedly demanded more than 200 of the state's 403 Assembly constituencies. The party is basing its claim partly on its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when it won six seats in Uttar Pradesh. It is also focusing on Assembly segments where it performed comparatively well.
The Samajwadi Party wants to retain the larger share of seats, with sources indicating that it is considering offering Congress fewer than 100 constituencies. However, it remains unclear whether the SP has formally communicated its reported proposal to Congress.
Congress leaders are hoping to finalise the seat-sharing agreement by November 15 to give candidates sufficient time to prepare for the elections. Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is reportedly leading the negotiations and remains in regular contact with Congress leaders in the state.
Despite the differences over seat allocation, SP president Akhilesh Yadav has reiterated that the alliance's primary objective is to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been in power in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.
"The Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the INDIA bloc must be strengthened. Our collective goal is to see that the BJP is removed. To ensure the ouster of the BJP, we will make people understand, and we will do so. The alliance will move forward effectively to defeat the BJP," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister told reporters on Friday.
The 2027 Assembly election is expected to see a major contest between the BJP and the SP-Congress alliance. Smaller National Democratic Alliance partners, including the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Apna Dal (S), Nishad Party and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, are also expected to influence the electoral contest.