Uttar Pradesh bypolls: SP's seat-sharing offer to Congress sends a political signal

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav during the oath-taking ceremony of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister-elect Omar Abdullah, in Srinagar. (PTI Photo)

The uncertainty over seat-sharing between Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP), two key partners of the INDIA alliance in Uttar Pradesh, was resolved during a meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav on October 16 in Srinagar. The serene backdrop of Jammu and Kashmir’s capital provided the setting for crucial discussions that lifted the cloud over the alliance’s electoral strategy for the upcoming by-elections.

As per the agreement, Congress will contest two seats, while SP will field candidates in eight seats. The Election Commission has already announced the by-election schedule for nine seats, except for the Milkipur seat, where an ongoing legal petition has delayed the announcement. Voting for the remaining seats is scheduled for November 13.

The Congress is expected to contest two key seats—Ghaziabad and Khair—both of which have been Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongholds for a long time.

Before the agreement, Congress had initially sought five seats from the SP, including Ghaziabad, Khair, Meerapur, Manjhawan, and Phulpur. However, after discussions between Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi during the National Conference leader Omar Abdullah's swearing-in ceremony, it was decided that Congress would focus on Ghaziabad and Khair.

A senior SP leader, privy to the discussions, confirmed, “In this meeting, Congress was given the green light to field its candidates on the Ghaziabad and Khair seats.”

Political analyst Manoj Bhadra said after the elections in J&K and Haryana, the Congress saw a decline in its bargaining power, making it clear that it would not secure the five seats it had initially requested for the UP by-elections. In a strategic move, Akhilesh Yadav is likely to allocate the Khair and Ghaziabad seats—long-time BJP strongholds—to Congress, thereby preserving SP’s strong strike rate.

"By offering these seats to Congress, the SP not only retains its electoral advantage but also keeps the INDIA alliance intact in Uttar Pradesh," said Bhadra.

Following the agreement, the SP moved forward with its campaign by naming Sumbul Rana as the candidate for the Meerapur seat in Muzaffarnagar. Sumbul, the daughter of BSP coordinator Munqad Ali and the daughter-in-law of former SP MP Qadir Rana, is making her electoral debut.

The SP’s announcement of candidates came amid indications that at least two seats would be left for the Congress, though the Congress has expressed reservations about the timing. “The party will soon declare a candidate for the Kundarki seat as well,” a senior SP leader stated.

SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand reiterated the party's commitment to alliance norms, saying, “The Samajwadi Party is declaring candidates as the bypolls have been announced. The Congress party will also be given seats as per the ongoing talks between the SP and Congress leadership. Our national president has already said that we will abide by our ‘Gathbandhan Dharm’.”

Meanwhile, the Congress awaits an official confirmation of the arrangement. All India Congress Committee general secretary (in charge of UP) Avinash Pandey emphasized the importance of coordination, stating, “We will contest the election in alliance with the Samajwadi Party, and both parties may reach a seat-sharing understanding soon. We hope the SP will give us a respectable number of seats.”

The Samajwadi Party has also announced other candidates, including Tej Pratap Yadav, cousin of Akhilesh Yadav, for the Karhal assembly seat, and Naseem Siddiqui, wife of disqualified SP MLA Irfan Solanki, for the Sisamau seat. Ajeet Prasad, son of Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad, has been named for the Milkipur seat in Ayodhya, while Shobhawati Verma, wife of SP’s Ambedkarnagar MP Lalji Verma, will contest from the Katehri assembly seat. The SP has fielded Mustafa Siddiqui for Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Jyoti Bind for Majhawan (Mirzapur).

The seat-sharing agreement is significant as the Ghaziabad and Khair seats have been BJP-dominated for years, making these by-elections a crucial test for the INDIA alliance. With the results of the Haryana assembly elections around the corner, the alliance’s arrangement may significantly impact the political dynamics in Uttar Pradesh and set the tone for their broader national alliance against the BJP.