Congress Wants 150 Seats In UP, Samajwadi Party Says Top Leaders Will Decide

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party are preparing to begin formal discussions on seat-sharing for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections next week, with Congress sources saying that the party has identified 150 constituencies it intends to seek in negotiations. While both parties have repeatedly said that they intend to fight the election together, the division of the state's 403 Assembly seats has emerged as the principal point of friction.The negotiations are expected to begin in October, sources have said. A final arrangement, however, will require the approval of the two parties' top leadership -- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.The Uttar Pradesh Assembly election is expected in February-March 2027, although the Election Commission has not yet announced the formal schedule. Both parties are preparing on the assumption that they could have to contest a large number of seats on their own.