Congress shares around 170 UP seats with SP for alliance talks

Congress has shared a list of around 170 seats with the Samajwadi Party as the parties open seat-sharing discussions for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, India Today reported, citing sources. The list is a starting point for negotiations, not an agreed allocation of constituencies.

According to Congress sources cited in the report, the party has divided the seats into four categories—A, B, C and D—based on its own assessment of its local standing. Its position on Category A seats is largely settled, with limited scope for concessions. Category B allows some adjustments, while seats in Categories C and D are more open to negotiation.

The sources said Congress was seeking a respectable share of seats rather than insisting on a fixed total. Several rounds of talks are expected before the parties settle how many constituencies each will contest.

Joint negotiating committee expected

A committee bringing together leaders of both parties is likely to be formed soon to handle negotiations, the sources indicated. Its formation and the eventual seat allocation remain pending.

A senior Congress source described defeating the BJP as the parties’ common aim and said both would consider concessions to advance it. That account reflects the Congress source’s description of the talks; the report does not include a direct Samajwadi Party statement confirming the proposed negotiating terms.