Akhilesh confirms alliance continuity for 2027 UP Assembly elections

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said his party would continue with its existing alliance for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, seeking to address uncertainty over its electoral partnership with the Congress amid unresolved seat-sharing negotiations. His remarks came as discussions over constituency allocation gathered attention ahead of the state elections.

Responding to questions about negotiations with alliance partners, Yadav indicated that an announcement could be expected soon and maintained that the existing political arrangement would remain unchanged. His statement came against the backdrop of differing demands from the Samajwadi Party and Congress over their respective shares of the state's 403 Assembly constituencies.

Alliance to continue despite differences

Yadav reiterated that electoral prospects, rather than demands for a particular number of constituencies, would determine the distribution of seats among alliance partners. He maintained that the Samajwadi Party had consistently advocated allocating constituencies according to the ability of individual parties and candidates to secure victories.

The clarification followed reports of differences between the two Opposition parties over the proposed seat-sharing formula. While the Congress has indicated its intention to contest a substantial number of constituencies, the Samajwadi Party has reportedly intensified preparations across 350 Assembly seats, raising questions about how the competing demands would be accommodated.

The negotiations have also attracted attention following public statements by leaders of both parties asserting their respective political influence in Uttar Pradesh. Despite these differences, Yadav's latest remarks indicated that the Samajwadi Party leadership intended to preserve its electoral partnership with the Congress.

Lok Sabha partnership provides backdrop

The Samajwadi Party and Congress had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Uttar Pradesh as constituents of the INDIA bloc. Their electoral understanding resulted in the two parties collectively securing 43 of the state's 80 parliamentary constituencies, with the Samajwadi Party winning 37 seats and the Congress securing six.

The parliamentary election results have remained an important reference point in discussions about continuing the partnership for the Assembly elections. However, the distribution of constituencies for the state contest has emerged as a subject of negotiation, with leaders from both parties publicly expressing differing expectations.

Yadav had previously maintained that the alliance would continue and that constituency allocation should be guided by electoral prospects rather than numerical demands. His latest statement reiterated that position without specifying when the final seat-sharing agreement would be announced.

Akhilesh skips INDIA bloc meeting

The Samajwadi Party chief's remarks coincided with an INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. Yadav did not attend the meeting because of previously scheduled engagements, with party MPs Harendra Malik and Maulana Mohibbullah Nadvi representing the Samajwadi Party.

The Opposition meeting was convened to discuss electoral issues, including concerns surrounding the revision of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission. Yadav's absence had attracted attention amid reports of differences between the Samajwadi Party and Congress over the proposed electoral arrangement in Uttar Pradesh.

Separately, the Samajwadi Party announced Ram Gopal Yadav and industrialist Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani as its candidates for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. Both candidates filed their nomination papers on Wednesday in the presence of Akhilesh Yadav, placing the party's immediate parliamentary election preparations alongside its longer-term Assembly election strategy.