New Delhi: The Congress has kicked off talks for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections by giving a list of around 170 constituencies to the Samajwadi
Party (SP), according to sources.
Within the party, leaders have sorted these seats into four brackets- A, B, C, and D. This setup is based on how solid the Congress machinery looks on the ground and its realistic chances of winning each seat. For Category A seats, the party sees little scope for compromise. Category B seats might see some back-and-forth, while Categories C and D remain open to practical bargaining.
While the party is not sticking to a stubborn number right away, it wants a respectable share inside the opposition bloc. A joint committee with leaders from both sides is likely to handle the distribution, and party leaders insist the common goal remains defeating the BJP.
Pushing for up to 120 seats
Backed by its six Lok Sabha wins in 2024 and what party leaders call Rahul Gandhi’s wider acceptance in North India, the Congress is looking for around 115 to 120 seats in the 403-member Assembly. State in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam has even pitched for contesting half the total seats, citing the 2017 alliance, in which the Congress contested 114.
Friction has already bubbled up. Saharanpur MP Imran Masood recently said the Congress would not ruin itself just to help Akhilesh Yadav build a government at the expense of its own future. Yadav, on his part, has stuck to the stance that the alliance holds firm and the focus must be ‘victory, not seats’.
Eyes on ground strength and voter base
The Congress believes Dalit, minority, and non-Yadav OBC voters are backing Rahul Gandhi over issues around the Constitution and social justice. Plans are on for a yatra from Ballia to Meerut alongside the party’s Sangathan Srijan drive. A senior leader remarked, “From a yatra from Ballia to Meerut, covering Purvanchal and Awadh, to a focused campaign on social justice and the Constitution, the best of the Congress is yet to come.”
Candidate vetting will also see tighter scrutiny. Learning from the 2022 polls where the party funded candidates up to Rs 70 lakh yet bagged only two seats.
“We have seen in the past how non-serious people take tickets and receive money from the party but later become inactive to save that money for themselves. This will not happen again,” a party functionary told India Today.
