Samajwadi Party and Congress face seat-sharing tensions in Uttar Pradesh

The Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress are engaged in complex negotiations regarding seat-sharing for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. While both parties remain part of the INDIA bloc and express commitment to opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), progress on a formal arrangement has been slow.

To inform their strategy, the Samajwadi Party has commissioned surveys in constituencies traditionally held by the Nehru-Gandhi family, such as the Rae Bareli-Amethi and Sultanpur belts. These surveys aim to assess the Congress party’s current electoral relevance and independent vote-catching ability to determine how many seats the SP should concede to its ally.

Internal divisions have also emerged within the Congress party. While some leaders seek a substantial electoral understanding with the SP, others are advocating for the party to contest a much larger number of seats, ranging from over 100 to all 403 constituencies, or even running independently. Both parties are expected to form committees shortly to finalize a negotiating formula.