The Samajwadi Party and Congress are heading towards seat-sharing discussions for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, but differences over the number of constituencies each party should contest have surfaced ahead of the talks. SP MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel has questioned Congress's demand for at least 150 seats in the 403-member Assembly.
SP MP questions Congress's 150-seat demand
Patel said seat allocation should reflect a party's electoral strength and organisational presence in the state. Speaking to Aaj Tak, he said that 150 seats was not acceptable to him and remarked that even allowing Congress to contest 50 seats would be a significant concession.
Congress's Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam had earlier said the party would not contest fewer than 150 seats under an alliance arrangement. He argued that Congress had candidates across the state's 403 constituencies and said seat-sharing should be finalised in October.
The SP, meanwhile, has also been preparing across a large number of constituencies. Reports said SP chief Akhilesh Yadav discussed preparations involving around 350 of the state's 403 seats, adding another layer to the ongoing negotiations.
2022 results remain part of the debate
Patel also referred to Congress's performance in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, when the party contested all 403 seats and won two. He contrasted this with the 2024 Lok Sabha election, when Congress won six seats in Uttar Pradesh while the SP won 37.
Patel also claimed that the SP-Congress alliance contributed to Congress's 2024 performance in the state. That is his political assessment rather than an independently established causal finding.
He further claimed that Rahul Gandhi had initially been reluctant to contest from Rae Bareli in 2024 and said Akhilesh Yadav had encouraged him to file his nomination. The claim was made by Patel and has been reported as his account of events.
Seat-sharing talks expected in October
The two parties are expected to begin formal discussions this month. Uttar Pradesh has 403 Assembly seats, according to the Election Commission of India.
The negotiations will determine how the two parties divide constituencies if their alliance continues into the 2027 Assembly election. For now, the public positions of the two sides show a substantial gap between Congress's stated demand and the number of seats some SP leaders are willing to discuss.
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