Congress, SP begin seat-share talks for UP Assembly bypolls

LUCKNOW: After making an impressive comeback in recently concluded Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, the INDIA Alliance partners — Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) — have reportedly commenced the deliberations for a seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming bypoll to 10 assembly segments to be held later this year.

Both political parties, which had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election as partners of opposition bloc, had announced to fight the bypoll, necessitated by the victory of sitting MLAs in Lok Sabha polls, in alliance. However, a decision over the number of seats that each partner will contest is yet to be decided.

Notably, of the 10 Assembly seats which will go to polls, five were held by the SP, three by the BJP, one each by BJP allies RLD and NISHAD party. As per the UPCC chief Ajai Rai, the discussion over the seat sharing were on at the highest level as the two partners would fight the bypoll in alliance.

Although the number of seats to be shared between the two is still unknown, the buzz among the senior Congress leaders is that the grand old party will seek those seats which were held by the BJP and its allies.