NEW DELHI: The Congress’s newly appointed Uttar Pradesh in-charge, Rajendra Pal Gautam, has sought an equal seat-sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party.
After assuming his new responsibility in Lucknow, he also praised BSP supremo Mayawati.
Formal talks regarding seat-sharing for the UP assembly elections have not yet begun between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party. When asked how many seats the Congress is seeking, Gautam said, “I would personally like there to be an equal share. The top leadership will decide once discussions take place. I am not authorised to make an announcement beforehand, but we will certainly advocate for an equal share.”
There are 403 assembly seats in UP. Ten years ago, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress formed an alliance for the elections. At that time, the Samajwadi Party contested 298 seats and the Congress 105.
However, there were instances of “friendly fights” between the two parties on some seats. Ultimately, the alliance fell apart following the BJP’s massive victory in the elections. After nearly seven years, the two parties reunited for the recent Lok Sabha elections and achieved success. Out of UP’s 80 seats, the Samajwadi Party contested 62 and won 37, while the Congress won 6 out of the 17 seats it contested.
