Akhilesh Yadav asks SP leaders to keep seat-sharing concerns internal amid friction with Congress

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday asked party leaders to keep their views on seat-sharing negotiations with the Congress within internal party channels, amid public differences between the two INDIA bloc allies ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.Yadav's intervention came after SP MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel publicly criticised the Congress' reported demand for 150 seats and said allocating too many constituencies to the party could affect the alliance's electoral prospects.Addressing reporters at an event in Lucknow, Yadav said, "I would like to tell all our leaders that whatever opinions or concerns they have regarding seat-sharing should be shared with us. Whenever the discussion takes place, we will discuss and consider their suggestions."SP MP questions Congress' reported demandPatel had said the Congress' reported demand for 150 seats was "highly unreasonable", pointing to the parties' performance in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections."They currently have two MLAs, whereas we have 125. Based on this ratio, they should receive seven or eight seats… We can give them even 50 seats; anything beyond that would simply mean wasting seats and risking defeat," Patel told news agency ANI.He said the Congress' "realistic capacity is around 25–30 seats" and stressed that the final decision on seat allocation rested with the SP national president."Congress should demand seats based on their actual numbers and standing, rather than making arbitrary demands. Their realistic capacity is around 25–30 seats… Everyone knows that only Akhilesh Yadav can provide good governance, ensure justice for all, and work for the welfare of everyone. That is why the public stands with Akhilesh Yadav; the Congress has no contribution in this regard," Patel further said.The reported demand for at least 150 seats had also been raised by Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam, who said earlier that the party had candidates available for all 403 Assembly constituencies and would not contest fewer than 150 seats under an alliance arrangement.Congress says top leadership will decideNewly appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhana Mishra said the decision on seat-sharing would be taken by the top leadership of the INDIA bloc and its constituent parties, rather than at the state level."Let me clarify one thing: the INDIA alliance was not formed specifically for Uttar Pradesh. It was formed in Delhi. This is not a state-level arrangement; it is a national-level alliance. Decisions regarding this will be taken by the top leadership of the alliance and the top leadership of the constituent parties," Mishra said.She said the Congress leadership would decide both the number of seats and the timing of any alliance."As for the Congress party, our top leadership will decide on the number of seats and the timing of the alliance, and I am fully confident that they will do so while keeping in mind the faith and trust of Congress workers," she said.Mishra also said Raebareli and Amethi held special significance for the Gandhi family, describing them as the family's "home".SP-Congress alliance ahead of 2027 pollsThe Congress and SP contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Uttar Pradesh as part of the INDIA bloc. The two parties had also allied for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.The next Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are due in 2027, with the BJP and SP among the major parties in the state.In the 2022 Assembly elections, the BJP won 255 of the 403 seats, while the SP secured 111. Congress won two seats and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won one.The BJP's vote share was 41.29 per cent, compared with 32.06 per cent for the SP, 12.88 per cent for the BSP and 2.33 per cent for the Congress.SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had earlier indicated that his party would contest the 2027 polls with largely the same allies with which it fought some recent elections and said the alliance would be declared soon.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.