After much dilly-dallying, the Congress has officially initiated seat-sharing talks with the Samajwadi Party for next year’s Uttar Pradesh elections, submitting an initial list of more than “175 seats” where the party feels it can make an impression in an alliance.
The list was shared with the Samajwadi Party leaders a couple of days back, Congress’ Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam told PTI, adding that the leaders of the two parties will soon hold a detailed discussion on the nature of seat-sharing arrangements.
“I can't give you the exact numbers, but we have submitted a list for 175 to 200 seats,” Gautam told PTI, hinting that the party is open to negotiations ahead of the polls to the 403 Assembly seats in the state.
“The leadership of both parties will sit together to thrash out the nitty-gritties of the seat-sharing arrangement,” Gautam added,
However, not many within the Samajwadi Party are convinced of the Congress' political heft to demand 175-200 seats, the 2024 Lok Sabha poll results notwithstanding, sources said.
“I think our party 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,” a senior Samajwadi Party leader said on Congress' initial list.
The scepticism isn't baseless as the Congress’ graph in Uttar Pradesh has been dipping since 1989, when it last held power in the most populous state of the country.
The party contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls on its own but could win just two seats, faring worse than its seven-seat show in 2017.
The 2024 Lok Sabha poll results, when the Congress won six seats in alliance with the Samajwadi Party that won 37 seats to limit the BJP to 33, have, however, raised the party's hopes, Congress leaders admitted.
“It’s 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,” a senior Congress leader told PTI.
Gautam said he is hopeful of a “reasonable” seat-sharing arrangement, asserting that the two parties will jointly contest next year’s Uttar Pradesh polls.
The recent leadership change in Uttar Pradesh Congress, when former chief Ajay Rai was replaced with Congress lawmaker Aradhana Misra Mona, is also believed to have been factored in to facilitate an amicable seat-sharing arrangement.
Many believe that Rai was not keen on a pre-poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party, feeling a post-poll arrangement would suit the party more.
However, Mona's “excellent relations” with the Samajwadi Party leadership may have been a factor in the party opting for her months ahead of the polls, some Congress leaders feel.
Taking a leaf out of the BJP's book, the Congress too has categorised seats based on its assessment of party position, and the talks on seat sharing will focus on this aspect, sources said.
The 2027 contest is shaping up primarily between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Samajwadi Party-led opposition, with the Congress seeking a substantial share of seats in a renewed alliance with the SP.
Smaller NDA allies, including the Apna Dal (S) and the Nishad Party, could play supporting roles.
The BSP remains a separate factor in Uttar Pradesh, where seat-sharing and caste equations will influence the contest.