Amid speculation about seat-sharing for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, a meeting between Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav is on the cards in the second week of October in Delhi.
With the two parties keen to put up a robust opposition against the ruling BJP, the development comes even as the SP launches its PDA Yatra and the Congress is busy restructuring the organisation in the state.
The Congress is likely to demand between 125 and 135 seats, including all 10 seats in Amethi (Tiloi, Salon, Jagdishpur, Gauriganj, Amethi) and Rae Bareli (Bachhrawan, Harchandpur, Rae Bareli, Sareni and Unchahar). The Samajwadi Party plans to share a “good 65” seats with its ally, keeping the rest for itself and other partners, SP sources said.
Once the talks gain momentum, Rahul Gandhi, leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Rae Bareli, is also expected to be involved in the final stages of the parleys.
The two parties have been the core of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when, together, they pushed the ruling BJP to the second position in the state.
{{/usCountry}}The two parties have been the core of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when, together, they pushed the ruling BJP to the second position in the state.
{{/usCountry}}Congress sources said the Delhi meeting will follow the announcement of the party’s state body and district and city presidents to underscore its organisational strength and help claim the desired seats in the alliance.
“By October second week, the Congress and SP leadership will be discussing the alliance in New Delhi. First committees made by two sides for the purpose will meet, followed by a meeting of the top leadership that is likely to have Akhilesh Yadav and Mallikarjun Kharge along with other leaders,” a senior Congress leader said.
Though there was much talk about the alliance since June this year, no talks could be held due to ambitious claims to seats.
“We are finishing our Sangathan Srijan this month. This will follow the formation of a committee to discuss seat-sharing, for which I will make a request to Rahul Gandhi,” said Rajendra Pal Gautam, the AICC in-charge for the Uttar Pradesh Congress. Both parties made gains in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as they fought in alliance.
Samajwadi Party national spokesperson Abbas Haider said, “Meetings are on the cards. The agenda will be decided by top leadership.”
Past experience—the 2024 Lok Sabha polls (when they contested together), the 2022 assembly elections (when the SP and the Congress contested separately)—and the present organisational strength of parties will be key to the discussions on 403 seats. Surveys by the parties will be put on the table to back their respective claims.
“Both parties will have a five-member committee comprising senior leaders who will discuss each seat. Past learnings will be key to decisions,” said a senior Congress leader in the know.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress fielded candidates for 17 out of 80 seats in the state and managed to win six in alliance with the SP.
In the 2017 assembly polls, the Congress fielded candidates for 114 seats and won seven seats. At that time, the Congress was in alliance with the SP. In 2022, the Congress contested 399 seats (out of 403) and won only two.
In 2024, the SP won 37 of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 Lok Sabha seats, the highest tally among all parties in the state. Together, the SP-Congress alliance won 43 seats, while the BJP tally was reduced to 33. In the 2022 assembly election, the BJP won 255 seats, while the SP finished with 111 (now reduced to 101). The Congress has two seats.
“While the Congress has been out of power in the state since 1989, the Samajwadi Party has held power multiple times (1989-1991,1993-1995, 2003–2007 and 2012–2017). This and other statistical details will also form the basis for discussion,” a senior SP leader said.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the SP-Congress alliance was announced on February 16, over two months before the first phase of polling on April 19.
“If the alliance is to happen, it is high time to lock it,” said Congress MP Imran Masood.
“If someone plans to go without the Congress, they are actually not planning to defeat the BJP in 2027,” he added.