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Samajwadi Party MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel said the Congress should seek seats in proportion to its electoral strength and organisational presence in Uttar Pradesh.
Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav
The Samajwadi Party and Congress’ alliance for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election is already facing friction over seat-sharing, with an SP MP questioning the Congress’ demand for at least 150 constituencies even before formal negotiations begin.
Samajwadi Party MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel said the Congress should seek seats in proportion to its electoral strength and organisational presence in Uttar Pradesh. He also dismissed the Congress’ 150-seat demand, saying that even giving the party 50 seats would be a “big deal”.
“150 seats is out of the question. Even giving them 50 seats would be a big deal,” Shiv Pal Singh Patel, who represents Pratapgarh in the Lok Sabha, said. The remarks came days after Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said the party would not contest fewer than 150 of the state’s 403 Assembly seats under an alliance arrangement. Gautam had said seat-sharing discussions would be finalised in October and that Congress had candidates ready for all 403 constituencies.
SP MP Questions Congress’ Claim
Shiv Pal Singh Patel cited the Congress’ performance in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election to question its demand for a large share of seats. Congress had contested all 403 Assembly constituencies in 2022 but won only two seats. Shiv Pal Singh Patel questioned whether the party had drawn a lesson from that electoral performance.
He also claimed that the Congress’ presence had affected the SP’s vote share in the 2022 election and argued that the SP could have formed the government in Uttar Pradesh had the Congress not cut into its votes.
The SP MP also pointed to the two parties’ performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Congress won six seats in Uttar Pradesh while the SP emerged as the largest party in the state with 37 seats. Shiv Pal Singh Patel claimed that the Congress would not have won those six seats without its alliance with the SP.
“If there had not been an alliance with us, then their six MPs would not have won,” Shiv Pal Singh Patel said.
‘Rahul Gandhi Was Afraid To Contest Rae Bareli’: SP MP
Shiv Pal Singh Patel also made a claim about Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest from Rae Bareli in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He alleged that Rahul Gandhi had initially been reluctant to contest from the constituency and approached SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to discuss the matter.
“Rahul Gandhi was afraid to contest from Rae Bareli. When he went to Akhilesh Yadav to explain his position and speak to him, Akhilesh told him that if he did not contest, he would field his own candidate. Only then did he fill the nomination,” Shiv Pal Singh Patel claimed.
Rahul Gandhi eventually contested Rae Bareli and won the seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The Congress party has demanded at least 150 constituencies for the upcoming 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election under an alliance arrangement, with party state in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam stating that discussions will be finalized in October.
Ask News18Delhi, India, India
October 04, 2026, 09:46 IST
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