Not about seats, but victory, says Akhilesh as SP and Congress spar over UP seat-sharing

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday (October 4, 2026) that the number of seats each party contests is less important than ensuring that the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc wins the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, due in early 2027.

In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Yadav said the alliance's purpose should be that “communalism never raises its head again”, and that democracy, the Constitution of India and reservation were not harmed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He added that this would allow harmony to bloom again in the country.

“When the purpose is clear, it goes hand in hand. If your eyes are on the destination, the journey becomes easy. The important thing is not how many seats are in the alliance or which seat is going to whom; the important thing is that we all have to ensure the alliance wins. Let us repeat again: it is not about the seat but about the victory,” he said. Mr. Yadav described such a win as the joint achievement of all alliance partners and of a “continuous struggle”.

His remarks came amid a continuing public exchange between SP and Congress leaders over seat-sharing — specifically, how many seats the Congress will contest in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. The State Assembly has 403 members.

Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam responded sharply to a statement by SP Lok Sabha MP Shivpal Singh Patel, who was reported to have said that the Congress should not expect to contest more than 50 seats. “Then he should refuse — he should clearly say that he does not want to form an alliance. At least the matter should be fair. What was the need to make such a light statement?” Mr. Gautam said.

Mr. Gautam said both parties would win and form the government together. “When have we talked about defeat? We too are talking about victory. It is not one person who wins the election, but the parties. The public votes for a party,” he said, adding that elections are fought on ideology and that, in his view, the Congress is “number one in the entire country” on that count.

Former Uttar Pradesh Minister and senior SP leader I.P. Singh, meanwhile, reminded the Congress of the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, saying a delegation of senior SP leaders had waited outside former Congress Chief Minister Kamal Nath's residence until the last day of ticket distribution, “but the Congress did not give a single seat to the SP in Madhya Pradesh”.

Mr. Singh also referred to the 2024 general election, saying the Congress would not have found it easy to win six Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh without the SP's support. “When needed, the Congress takes support from the SP and regional parties, but when it comes to sharing, the doors are closed,” he said.

The SP and the Congress are partners in the INDIA bloc and contested the 2024 general election in Uttar Pradesh as allies. Both parties have publicly affirmed their intention to contest the 2027 Assembly election together, although no formal agreement on seat-sharing has been announced so far. Leaders from both sides have said talks are continuing.