Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Akhilesh Yadav Sets Winnability Terms for Congress Alliance in UP
Akhilesh Yadav said his Samajwadi Party still wants to work with Congress in Uttar Pradesh.
He said the parties should give each election seat to whichever partner has the best chance of winning.
He described the next election as a contest between the BJP and the SP’s PDA group.
PDA stands for Backwards, Dalits and minorities, and Yadav said it should include women and other communities.
He accused the BJP government of treating some communities unfairly.
He also accused election officials of allowing votes to be stolen in the 2022 election.
The article reports no response from the BJP or the Election Commission to these accusations.
A local SP leader said Raebareli should be considered an SP stronghold rather than only a Congress stronghold.
Akhilesh Yadav said the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance would continue for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
He said seats should go to alliance partners judged most capable of winning them.
Yadav framed the contest as the BJP versus the SP’s PDA coalition of Backwards, Dalits and minorities.
He accused the BJP and election machinery of targeting PDA communities and alleged vote theft in 2022.
SP leaders also asserted the party’s claim over Raebareli, despite its reputation as a Congress stronghold.
- Who
- Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party, Congress, the BJP and the Election Commission were central to the remarks and allegations.
- What
- Yadav set winnability as the basis for seat sharing with Congress and outlined the SP’s political campaign for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
- When
- The remarks were made on Thursday during the SP’s campaign launch; the election is scheduled for 2027.
- Where
- Yadav spoke in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, during the PDA Rath Yatra.
- Why
- He said the alliance should maximize its chances of defeating the BJP and promoted the SP’s PDA coalition and claims about political and electoral inequality.
Samajwadi Party position
BJP and election authorities’ position
Seat sharing
Samajwadi Party position
Akhilesh Yadav said the SP-Congress alliance should allocate seats based on winnability rather than fixed claims.
BJP and election authorities’ position
The article does not report a response from Congress, the BJP or other alliance partners on the proposed seat-sharing principle.
Election fairness
Samajwadi Party position
Yadav alleged that the Election Commission enabled vote theft in 2022 and that administrative action selectively targeted PDA communities.
BJP and election authorities’ position
The article provides no response from the Election Commission or the BJP to these allegations.
Political direction
Samajwadi Party position
Yadav said the 2027 election should defeat the BJP and what he called bulldozer and communal politics while protecting the Constitution, democracy and reservation.
BJP and election authorities’ position
The article does not report the BJP’s response to Yadav’s characterization of its policies or political approach.
- Alliance
- The Samajwadi Party and Congress alliance is expected to continue for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
- Seat-sharing principle
- Yadav said seats should be allocated according to which alliance partner can win them.
- Political coalition
- The SP’s PDA refers to Backwards, Dalits and minorities; Yadav also sought to include women and other communities.
- 2024 performance
- The SP and Congress contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together and improved their tally compared with their separate 2022 Assembly election performance.
- 2022 allegation
- Yadav alleged that vote theft affected the PDA bloc in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
- Raebareli claim
- SP MLA Shyam Sundar Bharti said the SP won four of Raebareli district’s six Assembly seats in 2022.
- Policy issue
- Yadav said equality among citizens should precede implementation of a proposed Uniform Civil Code.