UP Congress president Aradhana Mishra states that seat-sharing talks with the Samajwadi Party for the 2027 UP Assembly polls will be handled by the INDIA bloc's national leadership, not at the state level, keeping Congress workers' trust in mind.

National Leadership to Decide on Seat-Sharing: UP Congress Chief

As political parties gear up for the high-stakes 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections, speculations of seat-sharing between the Congress and Samajwadi Party have taken centre stage. Newly appointed UP Congress president Aradhana Mishra on Saturday said that seat-sharing will be decided by the top leadership of the INDIA bloc and its constituent parties, not at the state level. Speaking to ANI, Mishra asserted that the Congress leadership would decide both the number of seats and the timing of any alliance. "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," she said.

She added that 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," Mishra said.

'Raebareli and Amethi are Gandhi Family's Home'

Speaking on Raebareli and Amethi, she said the two seats hold special significance for the Gandhi family. "Raebareli and Amethi are the Gandhi family's home. For them, these are not merely Lok Sabha constituencies; the Gandhi family has represented Raebareli and Amethi for generations. There is a familial bond between the Gandhi family and the people of Amethi and Raebareli. Within a family, there is no need for anyone else's consent or disagreement regarding such matters," she said.

Past Alliances and Future Demands

The Congress and the SP contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Uttar Pradesh as part of the INDIA bloc. The alliance performed strongly against the BJP-led NDA in the state. Congress won Raebareli, where Rahul Gandhi was elected, and Amethi, where Kishori Lal Sharma defeated Smriti Irani. The two parties had earlier allied in the 2017 Assembly elections, which they fought together without success.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress incharge Rajendra Pal Gautam said seat-sharing between the Congress and its alliance partners for the 2027 Assembly elections is likely to be finalised in October. He said Congress has candidates available to contest all 403 Assembly seats in the State. The party would not contest fewer than 150 seats under the alliance arrangement, the state incharge emphasised.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday indicated that the party will fight the next year’s Uttar Pradesh elections with largely the same allies with which it fought some recent elections. He said the aim is to declare the alliance very soon.

With the next Assembly polls due in early 2027, the question of how seats would be shared has become a recurring political talking point in the state. (ANI)

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