2027 polls: Congress eyes 3-digit seat share in pre-Diwali deal with SP

Dismissing the Samajwadi Party's (SP) "winnability over numbers" argument as a ploy to limit its share, the Congress is preparing to drive a hard bargain for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, demanding at least a three-digit seat share.

Buoyed by the INDIA bloc's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and its recent campaigns against the BJP, including over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Congress is signalling that it will no longer settle for a token share in the alliance.

"Winnability is a deception and the victory of AAP candidates in Delhi is an example. In politics, most people vote for a party out of trust and our candidates will not be weak ones. Just as others plan to select strong candidates, we will do the same," said Congress's UP in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday, pushing back against the SP's argument that seat allocation should be determined by electoral prospects rather than numbers.

The Congress's past assembly election performances are central to the SP's argument. In 2017, the Congress contested 114 seats and won seven, while the SP won 47 of the 311 seats it contested. In 2022, the Congress contested 399 seats but won only two, while the SP won 111 of the 347 seats it contested.

However, the message from the Congress camp is loud, "Past assembly defeats cannot be the sole yardstick for deciding its place in the alliance."

The party is preparing to put its own electoral calculations on the table and resist any attempt by the SP to dictate terms.

Aradhana Mishra's elevation as the state Congress chief was initially seen as a sign of the party's conciliatory approach towards the SP. However, the Congress had two views on seat-sharing -- one favouring a softer stance and the other advocating a more aggressive bargain. The latter approach has now received the green light from the party's top leadership.

The Congress's demand for a three-digit seat share marks a departure from its relatively restrained approach in previous negotiations. The party also wants to avoid the uncertainty of last-minute seat-sharing arrangements that characterised previous election run-ups.

A list of constituencies has emerged from consultations between Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and UP Congress leaders, the latest of which was held on October 19. Party sources said another meeting was planned for the end of the month, with the aim of concluding seat-sharing talks before Diwali.

"Discussions have now begun. We have submitted a list of seats to our top leadership, and communication with alliance partners has also begun around constituencies. Formal face-to-face talks will soon be held," Gautam said.

The Congress won six of the 17 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Uttar Pradesh in 2024, while the SP won 37. The two parties contested the election as INDIA bloc allies.

"Each seat is being analysed. Seat-sharing discussions will have Priyanka Gandhi as an integral part of the organisation," Aradhana Mishra said.

The state leadership has held at least two meetings with Priyanka Gandhi in New Delhi to discuss seat-sharing.

The Congress is examining constituencies where it finished second in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, along with seats associated with prominent state leaders. The SP, however, is understood to be cautious about conceding a larger share to its ally. SP leaders have suggested that 50 seats would amount to a substantial concession, while party chief Akhilesh Yadav has stressed that winnability of candidates, rather than the number of seats, should determine the allocation.

According to party sources, both sides are expected to press their claims based on past electoral performances and organisational strength.

Meanwhile, the Congress held a meeting with office-bearers and former MPs and MLAs to discuss its upcoming campaign in Uttar Pradesh and the national capital.