Lucknow, October 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Differences over seat-sharing between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress have surfaced ahead of talks for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with leaders of the two parties publicly indicating sharply different positions on the number of seats to be contested.
SP Lok Sabha MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel on Saturday said Congress should consider its electoral strength and organisational presence in the state while seeking seats under any alliance arrangement.
Speaking to IANS, Patel said the SP would favour a much smaller allocation and suggested that Congress should accept 50 seats. He also argued that contesting separately in several constituencies could result in losses for both parties.
Patel said the final decision would rest with SP president Akhilesh Yadav and described himself and other MPs as party workers who could only convey the party’s position and support base.
Congress, meanwhile, has publicly indicated that it intends to seek at least 150 of Uttar Pradesh’s 403 Assembly seats. Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said last week that seat-sharing with alliance partners was expected to be finalised in October and that the party had candidates for all 403 constituencies.
Congress MP Imran Masood, who has been appointed working president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, said the party would follow the position conveyed by its leadership.
The two parties had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Uttar Pradesh. The SP won 37 of the state’s 80 seats, while Congress won six.
The SP and Congress are partners in the Opposition INDIA bloc. The SP has been out of power in Uttar Pradesh since 2017, while Congress has not formed the state government since 1989.
With Uttar Pradesh sending 80 members to the Lok Sabha, the largest contingent from any state, seat-sharing for the 2027 Assembly polls is expected to be a significant issue in the alliance discussions.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by Mayawati, is not part of the current SP-Congress alliance. The SP and BSP had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections together but fought the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls separately.
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