Ramashankar Rajbhar says SP has finalised seat-sharing formula, announcement soon

As political parties intensify electioneering efforts ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly election due early year, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ramashankar Rajbhar on Saturday said the party has finalised its seat-sharing formula and the details would be announced soon. The party is expected to release its manifesto on November 26. Rajbhar's statement comes three days after Congress's Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said a committee would be formed to discuss seat-sharing. The contrasting statements come as the Congress leader indicated that discussions on seat-sharing were to be taken up by a committee, while the SP MP maintained that the formula had already been finalised. Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday said that seat-sharing negotiations within the INDIA alliance for the 2027 state assembly elections have officially begun, maintaining that the Congress has staked a claim to specific constituencies based on public trust and organisational growth. Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Gautam pointed out that the alliance's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the INDIA bloc clinched 43 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh, was a testament to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's influence and the party's revitalised organisational network. "The Congress party is actively building its organisation on the ground, and it is growing significantly stronger. The results in the recent Lok Sabha election, where the INDIA bloc won 43 seats in UP, reflect the impact of Rahul Gandhi's influence. Based on this, and on the strength of our organisation and the trust placed in our party, we have requested certain seats," Gautam told reporters. Emphasising that discussions among alliance leadership are underway, he said, "Discussions have now begun, and as we stated earlier, the agreement will be honourable. We will present the details of that agreement once it is finalised. Certain matters are currently being discussed by the party leadership, and the outcome will be communicated in due time." Congress has officially begun seat-sharing talks with the Samajwadi Party for next year's state elections and submitted an initial list of more than 175 seats where it feels it can make an impression in an alliance. Congress' Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam told PTI that the list was shared with Samajwadi Party leaders a couple of days ago; the leaders of the two parties will soon discuss the seat-sharing arrangements in detail. The 2027 Uttar Pradesh is largely seen as a contest between the BJP and the SP-Congress bonhomie, with smaller National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners -- Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Apna Dal (S), Nishad Party and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) -- also expected to play a crucial role.