Congress Seeks Up to 200 Seats in UP Alliance

The Indian National Congress has initiated seat-sharing negotiations with the Samajwadi Party for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, submitting an initial list of 175 to 200 seats. To maintain flexibility, Congress categorized these constituencies into four priority levels. While Congress leaders emphasize the need for a respectable share, reports indicate a significant gap in expectations, as the Samajwadi Party may offer only 60 to 70 seats.

Samajwadi Party leaders have expressed skepticism regarding the political strength of the Congress, citing its poor performance in the 2022 Assembly elections where it won only two seats. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stated that winnability is the sole criterion for seat allocation, though he affirmed that the collective goal of the INDIA bloc is to remove the Bharatiya Janata Party from power.

To facilitate smoother negotiations, the Congress recently appointed Aradhana Misra Mona as state unit chief, replacing Ajay Rai due to Mona's close ties with the Samajwadi Party leadership. General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is currently leading internal strategy meetings, with the party aiming to finalize the seat-sharing arrangement by November 15. The two parties are leveraging their success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where they combined to win 43 of 80 seats in the state.