The proposed alliance between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress in Uttar Pradesh is yet to reach the seat-sharing table, but the numbers being put out by the two parties are already setting the backdrop for negotiations expected in October.
At a recent meeting of SP MLAs and MPs called to discuss the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections, according to a source, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the party would step up preparations across 350 of Uttar Pradesh’s 403 Assembly constituencies.
The announcement triggered excitement among SP ticket aspirants, many of whom saw it as a signal that the party was preparing to contest a large share of the seats.
The figure came hours after Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajednra Gautum said the party would seek at least 150 seats under an alliance.
“Seat-sharing is likely to be finalised in October. Congress has candidates available to contest all 403 seats. Under the alliance, the Congress party is entitled to get 50 per cent of the seats. We will not contest fewer than 150 seats,” Gautum said.
Congress MP Imran Masood has also said the party, as the main opposition force against the BJP, would not compromise on its dignity in seat-sharing. UP Congress chief Ajay Rai, however, has maintained that negotiations would be handled by the party’s central leadership.
The contrasting numbers have given the proposed alliance an early negotiating edge for both sides. Congress has been working around two months on identifying potential seats and has reportedly placed 150 constituencies in its first category, based on its assessment of candidates and organisational strength.
Meanwhile, the SP has not publicly specified how many seats it would leave for its alliance partner. Akhilesh has instead said, “The target would be on defeating the BJP in every seat. If our alliance partners can demonstrate the winnability factor on a seat, the number of seats would not be an issue.”
The SP’s 350-seat preparation is also being linked to its performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party won 37 parliamentary seats and led in 184 Assembly segments.
Its broader calculation is understood to include seats where it outpolled the BJP, along with constituencies linked to parliamentary seats where the party finished second or third but secured leads in particular Assembly segments.
The numbers, therefore, may be less a final allocation than an opening signal before the October negotiations.
The emerging numbers have also drawn a political response from BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Asked about Congress insisting on at least 150 seats in an alliance with the SP, Singh appeared to back Akhilesh, saying that without him, everything is “soona” (deserted).
