New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party (SP), currently gearing up for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, is feeling highly confident, a sentiment bolstered, in part, by its unexpected success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The SP’s national president has been consistently asserting that his party will form the government in UP. However, the Congress,s a partner within the INDIA alliance,ce is emerging as a significant challenge for the SP.
Congress leaders in the state have oscillated between demanding to field candidates for 150 seats and calling for an equal share of the total constituencies. Meanwhile, a recent move by Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has inevitably added to the SP’s concerns: she held a major meeting with party office-bearers in UP, outlining a plan to strengthen the Congress across 200 Assembly constituencies.
Previously, the Congress had been focusing on strengthening its presence in 150 seats; this figure has now risen to roughly half of the total Assembly constituencies in the state.
How many seats does the Congress want to contest?
Political circles suggest that the Congress is seeking a significantly larger number of seats from the SP. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, operating under his ‘PDA’ (Pichde, Dalit, AlpsankhyBackwardsard classes, Dalits, and Minorities) formula, is preparing to contest approximately 350 seats. This would leave only 53 seats for the Congress,ress a number far smaller than what the party appears to be aiming for. Given the current preparations by the Congress, it is difficult to predict how many candidates each party will ultimately field.
Akhilesh’s message regarding victory
It seems highly unlikely that former UP Chief Minister and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav will agree to concede a large number of seats to the Congress. He has repeatedly stated that the focus this time is not on the number of seats, but on securing victory. This makes his stance clear: the SP will only cede seats to the Congress where the latter’s candidate is strong. These signals also carry several implicit messages for the Congress.
What did Imran Masood say? The exact nature of the alliance between the SP and the Congress in UP remains unclear. Both parties are currently in the process of drafting an agreement. Imran Masood has made a surprising statement regarding the seat-sharing arrangement between the SP and the Congress. Media reports suggest that the Congress has submitted a list of 170 seats to the SP.
In response to this, Imran Masood stated that this is an internal party matter; it is for the party to decide. “We are working for the party; our goal is to ensure that the party stands strong.
