Tensions have emerged within the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections following Congress’s demand for 181 seats. Senior leaders from both parties are scheduled to hold a crucial meeting on November 17 to deliberate on seat-sharing and finalize a potential alliance formula. SP president Akhilesh Yadav and senior Congress leaders will participate in the talks in Lucknow, where political observers will closely watch how the two sides reconcile their expectations.
Efforts to maintain opposition unity to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming state polls remain underway. The SP and Congress had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together under the INDIA bloc banner, winning 43 of the 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh. The SP emerged as the largest partner in the state with 37 seats, while Congress secured six seats, and the BJP won 33. This parliamentary performance strengthened prospects for the two parties continuing their partnership in the state Assembly polls.
However, translating Lok Sabha gains into an Assembly seat-sharing agreement poses challenges. Uttar Pradesh has a total of 403 Assembly seats, making Congress’s demand for 181 seats a central point of negotiation. If Congress insists on this figure, crafting a workable seat distribution formula for the SP and other potential alliance partners will become complex. The November 17 meeting is expected to examine this electoral arithmetic in detail.
SP Relies on 2022 Assembly Performance as Benchmark
Ahead of formal negotiations, the Samajwadi Party has assessed Congress’s performance in the previous state Assembly elections. According to sources, the SP has prepared a dossier based on data from the 2022 Assembly polls. The party maintains that seat allocation should be determined not merely by demands or numerical targets, but by the winnability of candidates in specific constituencies.
In the 2022 Assembly elections, Congress fielded candidates in 399 of the 403 seats across Uttar Pradesh but won only two, securing Rampur Khas in Pratapgarh and Pharenda in Maharajganj. While its candidates finished second in four constituencies, the party’s overall electoral showing remained weak. Of the 399 candidates who contested, 387 lost their security deposits. Congress polled a total of 21.51 lakh votes statewide, with candidates crossing the 10,000-vote mark in only 46 constituencies.
Based on these figures, the SP faces the task of balancing Congress’s seat demand against its ground-level electoral record. While Congress is expected to cite its 2024 Lok Sabha gains to justify a larger share of seats, the SP is inclined to weigh the 2022 Assembly results heavily during negotiations. This divergence in approach is likely to play a decisive role in the upcoming discussions.
Alliance Efforts Aimed at Countering the BJP
In the 2022 Assembly elections, the BJP returned to power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 seats, while the Samajwadi Party emerged as the principal opposition party with 111 seats and Congress won two. The sharp contrast between Congress’s Assembly and Lok Sabha performances adds another layer of complexity to the seat-sharing talks. Although winning six parliamentary seats in 2024 enhanced Congress’s political standing, the SP finds it difficult to overlook its ally’s earlier state-level numbers.
For Akhilesh Yadav, preserving coordination with Congress is seen as important for keeping the opposition bloc cohesive. The SP is simultaneously focusing on its PDA strategy, which centers on consolidating backward classes, Dalits, and minorities to strengthen its social coalition. A partnership with Congress could help broaden opposition support around this framework.
Crucial Talks to Shape Opposition Strategy for 2027
Meanwhile, the BJP has also begun preparations for the 2027 polls as it seeks to retain power in the state. Consequently, seat-sharing negotiations between the SP and Congress represent more than an exercise in dividing constituencies, as the outcome will influence the broader direction of opposition politics in Uttar Pradesh.
The November 17 meeting is expected to clarify how both parties intend to carry forward their Lok Sabha alliance into the Assembly elections. With Congress placing a demand for 181 seats on the table, the negotiations have reached a critical juncture ahead of the formal talks.
