Dismissing the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) “winnability over numbers” argument as a ploy to limit its share, the Congress is preparing to drive a hard bargain for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, demanding at least a three-digit seat share.
In 2017, the Congress contested 114 seats and won seven, while the SP won 47 of the 311 seats it contested. In 2022, the Congress contested 399 seats but won only two, while the SP won 111 of the 347 seats it contested. A list of constituencies has emerged from consultations between Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and UP Congress leaders, the latest of which was held on October 19. The Congress won six of the 17 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Uttar Pradesh in 2024, while the SP won 37.
“Winnability is a deception and the victory of AAP candidates in Delhi is an example. In politics, most people vote for a party out of trust and our candidates will not be weak ones. The Congress’s past assembly election performances are central to the SP’s argument. The party is preparing to put its own electoral calculations on the table and resist any attempt by the SP to dictate terms. Aradhana Mishra’s elevation as the state Congress chief was initially seen as a sign of the party’s conciliatory approach towards the SP. However, the Congress had two views on seat-sharing — one favouring a softer stance and the other advocating a more aggressive bargain. The latter approach has now received the green light from the party’s top leadership. The Congress’s demand for a three-digit seat share marks a departure from its relatively restrained approach in previous negotiations. The party also wants to avoid the uncertainty of last-minute seat-sharing arrangements that characterised previous election run-ups. The two parties contested the election as INDIA bloc allies.
Party sources said another meeting was planned for the end of the month, with the aim of concluding seat-sharing talks before Diwali. Just as others plan to select strong candidates, we will do the same,” said Congress’s UP in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday, pushing back against the SP’s argument that seat allocation should be determined by electoral prospects rather than numbers.
