Congress seeks 175-200 seats in UP polls, begins seat-sharing talks with Samajwadi Party

The Congress has begun seat-sharing negotiations with the Samajwadi Party (SP) for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, submitting an initial list of between 175 and 200 constituencies where it believes it can make an impact as part of an alliance.

Rajendra Pal Gautam, the Congress's Uttar Pradesh in-charge, told PTI that the list had been shared with Samajwadi Party leaders a couple of days earlier. The leadership of both parties is expected to meet soon to discuss the proposed seat-sharing arrangement in detail.

“I can't give you the exact numbers, but we have submitted a list for 175 to 200 seats,” Gautam said, indicating that the party was open to negotiations ahead of the elections to the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

Gautam expressed confidence that the two parties would reach a reasonable agreement and contest the elections together.

However, the Congress's demand for a substantial share of seats has reportedly raised questions within the Samajwadi Party, where some leaders remain unconvinced about its electoral strength despite the opposition alliance's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

A senior SP leader said party chief Akhilesh Yadav had made it clear that a candidate's winnability would be the primary consideration in deciding seat allocations.

“I think our leader Akhilesh Yadav has made it clear that winnability is the sole criterion (for contesting the polls). Anyone can demand anything but in politics, to reach an acceptable and meaningful solution, you have to move beyond posturing,” the leader said.

Akhilesh Yadav stresses unity to defeat BJP

Yadav on Friday reiterated that strengthening the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the INDIA bloc was essential to defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, he said the opposition parties shared a common objective and would work together to achieve it.

“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,” Yadav said.

The proposed alliance is expected to be a key factor in the 2027 contest, which is taking shape primarily between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the SP-led opposition. The Congress is seeking a substantial share of constituencies as it looks to build on the gains made by the opposition in the previous general election.

Congress hopes to build on 2024 Lok Sabha gains

The Congress's seat-sharing ambitions come despite its weak performance in recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The party contested the 2022 polls independently and won only two seats, down from the seven it secured in 2017.

Its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, however, has strengthened its belief that an alliance with the Samajwadi Party can deliver better results. The Congress won six Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, while the SP secured 37, limiting the BJP to 33.

A senior Congress leader told PTI that the results demonstrated the potential of the two parties working together.

“It is obvious. The 2024 Lok Sabha results were proof that together the two parties can make an impact. In politics, there has to be room for meaningful give and take,” the leader said.

The Congress's electoral influence in Uttar Pradesh has declined over several decades. The party last held power in the state in 1989, a decline that has fuelled doubts among some SP leaders about whether it can justify seeking as many as 175 to 200 seats.

Leadership change may help smooth negotiations

The Congress's recent decision to replace former Uttar Pradesh unit chief Ajay Rai with legislator Aradhana Misra, known as Mona, is also being viewed within the party as a move that could help facilitate an agreement with the Samajwadi Party.

Some Congress leaders believe Mona's good relations with the SP leadership could help the parties reach an amicable arrangement months before the election.

Rai, according to party insiders, was not keen on a pre-poll alliance with the SP and believed that a post-election arrangement would be more advantageous for the Congress.

The party has also adopted an approach similar to that of the BJP by categorising constituencies according to its assessment of its electoral prospects. Sources said these assessments would form a key part of the upcoming seat-sharing discussions.

NDA allies and BSP add to electoral calculations

The 2027 Uttar Pradesh election is expected to involve complex negotiations over constituency allocations, caste equations and the relative strength of the competing parties.

Alongside the BJP, smaller NDA allies such as Apna Dal (S) and the Nishad Party could play supporting roles in the ruling alliance's electoral strategy.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) remains a separate political factor in the state. Its presence, along with the influence of caste-based voting patterns, could affect the contest and the calculations of both the ruling alliance and the opposition.

For the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, the immediate challenge will be to reconcile competing demands over seats while preserving the unity that helped the opposition improve its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.