States » NorthPosted at: Sep 17 2026 1:34PM


UP Assembly Polls: SP, Congress to prioritise strong candidates in seat sharing

Lucknow, Sep 17 (UNI)As the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections draw closer, seat-sharing talks between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress have gained momentum. While the Congress has staked a claim to more than 100 seats, the SP leadership has indicated that the formula will be driven by the strength and winnability of candidates rather than the numbers alone.
However, sources both in the SP and Congress have hinted that a solution could be finalised with the Congress being given at least one assembly seat in each of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies. There could be a rider in this formula that, if there is no winnable Congress candidate in the seat, then the SP will give its candidate the Congress symbol.
However, there could be a problem in some districts like Azamgarh and Ghazipur, where SP and its alliance partners had won all the assembly seats in 2022.
Assembly elections are scheduled in the state next year, and the Election Commission has begun preparations. The SP and Congress, the main constituents of the All India Alliance, have also begun activating their organisations at the assembly level. In 2022, both parties contested the elections separately. In that election, the SP won 111 seats, while the Congress won only two.
Congress leaders argue that in the 2017 assembly elections, the party fielded candidates in over 100 seats under the SP-Congress alliance.
However, this alliance failed to oust the BJP from power. Based on this, there are talks of Congress demanding over 100 seats this time as well. Meanwhile, the SP is discussing a potential 40 to 50 seats for the Congress.
The SP leadership believes that more important than the number of seats in the alliance is the candidate's position to win the respective seat. This can be based on local political dynamics, the candidate's influence, and previous election performance.
According to a senior party leader, Congress may consider its bid for seats where it can field a strong candidate.
Meanwhile, speculation is rife in political circles regarding the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and the Nishad Party. Both parties have previously aligned with the SP but later parted ways.
According to sources, the SP leadership has given a clear message to its officials that organisational action will be taken against anyone proposing an alliance with the Subhaspa or the Nishad Party.
The main challenge facing the SP at this time is to coordinate seat allocation within the alliance and strengthen its chances of winning each seat.
Sources stated that the party leadership believes that seat allocation should be based on local conditions and the availability of strong candidates, keeping in mind the goal of forming a government.
However, the Congress party's final stance on seat allocation and the nature of its negotiations with the SP are expected to become clear in the coming days.
Regarding seat allocation, Congress state president Ajay Rai has stated that the party's central leadership will decide how many seats the party will contest in Uttar Pradesh.
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Tags: #UP Assembly Polls: SP# Congress to prioritise strong candidates in seat sharing
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