Seat sharing tussle for Uttar Pradesh bypolls: Congress wants 5, SP ready to give 3

Following their impressive performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) are keen to sustain the momentum in the upcoming by-elections for 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh. Behind-the-scenes negotiations are underway to finalize a seat-sharing arrangement.

During the Lok Sabha elections, the SP-Congress alliance made significant inroads in Uttar Pradesh, securing 43 seats and reducing the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to 36 seats in the state. Encouraged by this success, the INDIA partners are now focused on establishing a strategic seat-sharing formula for the by-elections.

Both parties are treading carefully to avoid any public discord, with each aiming to secure a fair share of the seats while maintaining a united front. Of the 10 assembly seats that will be contested, five were previously held by the SP and five by the BJP.

Congress media in-charge CP Rai said that the Congress has staked a claim for the five seats previously held by the BJP. "We do not want to alter the winning combination of the SP, so they should contest the five seats they won in the 2022 assembly elections," Rai said in an interview with Money Control.

However, it is likely that the Congress will end up contesting only three seats. A senior SP leader commented, "Does the Congress have winning candidates or a strong party base across Uttar Pradesh? The five seats they are asking for might be more than they can handle."

Despite these differences, sources indicate that the Congress and SP have reached a broad consensus on seat-sharing. According to insiders within the SP, the Congress is expected to contest three seats, while the SP will field candidates in the remaining seven. The final decision on seat distribution will be made by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The 10 assembly seats up for by-elections include five previously held by the SP, three by the BJP, and one each by BJP allies Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the NISHAD party. Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Ajai Rai has confirmed that high-level discussions are ongoing, with both parties committed to presenting a united front.

Among the SP-held seats are Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Milkipur (Ayodhya), Kundarki (Moradabad), and Sisamau (Kanpur). The Sisamau seat was vacated following the disqualification of sitting SP MLA Irfan Solanki after his conviction in a criminal case. Katehari was vacated by SP MLA Lalji Verma, who won the Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha seat, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav resigned from the Karhal seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has intensified its preparations for the by-elections. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has formed 10 teams comprising 30 ministers to focus on each of the 10 seats. On Wednesday, the Chief Minister held a marathon meeting with these ministers to finalize the election and campaign strategy.

SP MP’s son gets ticket in Milkipur:

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has ended weeks of speculation by officially naming Ajit Prasad, son of SP MP from Faizabad Awdhesh Prasad as its candidate for the upcoming Milkipur assembly by-election. The announcement came after a consensus was reached during a meeting of SP leaders and workers held at the party's Lucknow office on Sunday.

The by-election was necessitated after former Milkipur MLA Awadhesh Prasad was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP).