SP-Congress Alliance In UP: Seat-Sharing Talks Expose Differences Ahead Of 2027 Assembly Elections

Lucknow: For nearly a week, Samajwadi Party and Congress leaders have been trading barbs over their alliance for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, fuelling speculation about a possible split.

Alliance faces seat-sharing questions

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav sought to end the speculation on Sunday, saying, “We are fighting on the surface, but we are together internally. This is part of our strategy.”

But if the alliance is intact, why are the two parties still unable to settle seat sharing?

The problem goes beyond the war of words. It reflects competing claims over political space, seats and the leadership of the anti-BJP campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

The latest controversy began with Congress MP Imran Masood. On September 21, he questioned the need for an alliance if the SP was not ready to move ahead. “If there is no alliance, we are going ahead with our own preparations,” he said.

Leaders trade accusations

SP MP Iqra Hasan hit back, saying only Akhilesh could defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and that the Congress would gain more from an alliance.

Masood escalated the exchange on September 26. “Why don't we contest separately? Are we begging anyone?” he said.

Senior SP leaders Shivpal Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav said the Congress had little political standing in the state. Congress state president Ajay Rai's statement that his party would strengthen itself in SP strongholds added to the friction.

Political analyst R N Bajpayee said the Congress is seeking a much larger share, while the SP is reluctant to give it more than around 50 seats. The SP believes it needs to contest a large number of seats to remain the principal challenger to the BJP.

Seat-sharing negotiations continue

But the SP is also insisting that seat claims be backed by credible candidates. According to sources, during the July 20 meeting between Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also present, Akhilesh conveyed that the Congress would have to name candidates along with the seats it wants.

The SP does not want senior Congress leaders to seek multiple seats in their areas of influence and then push preferred candidates.

The 2024 Lok Sabha election has reinforced this concern. Congress contested 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh and won six. In Prayagraj and Sitapur, former SP leaders joined the Congress and won on its tickets.

Different readings of election results

The two parties also have different readings of the 2024 result. Congress sees Rahul Gandhi's campaign as a factor in attracting Muslim and Dalit voters. The SP credits its organisational network and social base for the alliance's performance.

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In 2022, Congress won just two Assembly seats with 2.39% of the vote. The SP won 111 seats with 32.06%, while the BJP won 255 with 41.29%. In 2024, SP and Congress together polled 43.52% in Uttar Pradesh against 41.37% for the BJP. But the two parties know that Lok Sabha and Assembly elections have different dynamics.

A split would create problems for both. Congress would face the Assembly election with a weak organisation across much of the state. The SP, meanwhile, could see anti-BJP votes divided among the SP, Congress and BSP in some constituencies.

The alliance may remain intact. But the public exchanges have exposed the bigger problem: the SP and Congress have yet to agree on how much political space each deserves in Uttar Pradesh.