UP Polls: Congress Hands SP Four-Category List Of 172 Seats, Wants 'Respectable Share' In Alliance

News india UP Polls: Congress Hands SP Four-Category List Of 172 Seats, Wants 'Respectable Share' In Alliance

Last Updated:October 23, 2026, 07:45 IST

The Congress has adopted a graded approach to negotiations, with its position on Category A constituencies nearly final and little room for compromise

The Congress has handed over a list of 172 assembly constituencies to the Samajwadi Party (SP) as the two INDIA bloc allies begin working towards a seat-sharing arrangement for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, party sources told CNN-News18 on Friday.

The list, divided into four categories based on the Congress’s preferences, was submitted after preliminary discussions with the SP and three internal meetings chaired by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The meetings were attended by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Aradhana Misra, working state president Imran Masood and state in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam, according to party sources.

The Congress has adopted a graded approach to negotiations, with its position on Category A constituencies nearly final and little room for compromise. Some changes could be made to Category B seats, while the party is more open to negotiations over constituencies placed in Categories C and D.

Congress sources said the party was not insisting on a specific number of seats but wanted a “respectable share" in the alliance. The list of 172 constituencies, therefore, represents the party’s preferences for negotiations and should not be seen as its final demand for the number of seats it will contest.

Several more rounds of discussions are expected before the two parties arrive at an agreement. Sources said a joint committee comprising leaders from the Congress and the SP is likely to be formed soon to negotiate the seat-sharing arrangement.

The final number of seats to be contested by each party will be decided only after further discussions.

Congress, SP Look To Build On 2024 Alliance

The seat-sharing exercise comes ahead of the 2027 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress and the SP are looking to continue their alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The two parties contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Uttar Pradesh, with the SP winning 37 of the state’s 80 seats and the Congress winning six. Their combined tally of 43 seats marked a strong showing for the INDIA bloc in a state that sends the largest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha.

The alliance is now seeking to carry that coordination into the assembly elections, although the distribution of constituencies is likely to be a key point of negotiation. Both parties have their own organisational assessments and local leadership claims to consider while deciding which seats each should contest.

For the Congress, identifying preferred constituencies early is part of its effort to secure seats where it believes it can be electorally competitive. The party’s four-category system allows it to distinguish between constituencies on which it is firm and those where it can accommodate the SP’s preferences.

Both Parties Willing To Make Sacrifices, Say Congress Sources

Congress sources said the party was prepared to negotiate and make necessary adjustments, adding that both allies shared the objective of defeating the BJP in the state.

The party has indicated that it is willing to make sacrifices to preserve the alliance, but wants its organisational position and electoral prospects to be taken into account in the final arrangement.

The proposed joint committee is expected to provide a forum for detailed discussions on individual constituencies and help narrow differences between the two parties. However, the final seat-sharing formula will depend on further negotiations and decisions by the respective party leaderships.

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