Archive · 6 Oct 2026
Congress and Samajwadi Party Remain Divided Over Uttar Pradesh Seats
The Congress and Samajwadi Party are arguing about how many seats each should contest in Uttar Pradesh’s 2027 election.
The Samajwadi Party says Congress should get no more than 50 seats.
Congress says it wants 200 seats and wants the plan settled by October.
It says it may contest all 403 seats if there is no agreement.
Samajwadi leaders point to Congress’s past election results to support their position.
Congress leaders say their party is building support and has spoken with other political groups.
The parties have also criticized each other’s campaign moves.
They say they need to decide soon so candidates have time to prepare.
The Congress and Samajwadi Party remain at odds over seat-sharing for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
Samajwadi MP S.P. Singh Patel said his party would give the Congress no more than 50 seats.
Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said Congress wants to contest 200 seats, with an agreement by October, or could run in all 403.
Samajwadi leaders have cited the parties’ past results: Congress won two seats in 2022 and seven of the 105 seats it contested in 2017.
Congress has also pursued ties with other parties, including the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party, while leaders on both sides have made rival campaign moves.
- Who
- The Congress and Samajwadi Party, with comments from leaders including Rajendra Pal Gautam and S.P. Singh Patel.
- What
- The parties are divided over how to share seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
- When
- The dispute was reported on Monday; the election is scheduled for 2027, and Congress wants an agreement by October.
- Where
- Uttar Pradesh, India.
- Why
- They disagree over each party’s strength and the number of seats each should contest.
Congress position
Samajwadi Party position
Seat allocation
Congress position
Congress wants to contest 200 seats and says the agreement should be settled by October; it may contest all 403 if there is no deal.
Samajwadi Party position
S.P. Singh Patel said the Samajwadi Party is not prepared to give Congress more than 50 seats; Akhilesh Yadav said winnability should determine the formula.
Basis for the alliance
Congress position
Rajendra Pal Gautam said Congress expected an alliance based on equality and respect and argued that a party should not have to diminish itself to form an alliance.
Samajwadi Party position
Samajwadi representatives have pointed to Congress’s past results, including two seats in 2022 and seven of 105 contested in 2017, and emphasized party strength and organization.
- Election
- Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, 2027
- Congress proposal
- Contest 200 seats; Rajendra Pal Gautam said the agreement should be finalized by October.
- Samajwadi Party position
- S.P. Singh Patel said the Congress should receive no more than 50 seats.
- Total Assembly seats
- 403
- 2022 result cited
- Congress won 2 seats; the Samajwadi Party won 111.
- 2017 results cited
- Congress won 7 of the 105 seats it contested; the Samajwadi Party won 47.
- Other alliance talks
- Congress held talks with OBC political groups and entered a pre-election alliance with the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party, according to the article.