Congress MPs urge leadership to seek SP alliance talks ahead of UP polls

Congress MPs representing Uttar Pradesh have urged party leadership to explore the possibility of forming an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, according to sources. The call for an alliance was made during a meeting held by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, where the MPs expressed their unanimous opinion on the matter. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied Rahul during the session.

The MPs' push for the alliance stems from the growing sentiment that the discord among local Congress functionaries is negatively impacting their image among supporters. The Joint electoral victory of Congress and SP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls further strengthens the case for a potential union. However, the MPs also emphasized the need for Congress to secure "quality seats" from SP, highlighting the importance of strategically choosing winnable seats over merely increasing the number.

During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi did not provide any specific information regarding the potential alliance or the party's expectations from negotiations with SP. The session was attended by several UP Congress MPs, including Pramod Tiwari, Rajiv Shukla, Imran Pratapgarhi, Kishori Lal Sharma, Ujjwal Raman Singh, Rajesh Rathore, Tanuj Punia, and Imran Masood.

Comparative examples from Bihar's 2015 and 2021 elections were cited by an MP to illustrate the importance of focusing on winnable seats. Congress managed to secure a lower number of seats in 2015 but managed to achieve a high tally, whereas the following year, despite contesting a larger number of seats, the party's performance declined. Many attendees at the meeting believed that an alliance with SP would be finalized soon, with seat-sharing talks set to commence in earnest.

The newly-appointed UP Congress in-charge, Rajendra Pal Gautam, has reportedly undertaken a seat-by-seat analysis, while the party has also ordered a survey to gauge its strength in individual constituencies. In a June INDIA bloc meeting, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had urged Congress to demonstrate a "large heart" and trust the regional parties' judgment in states.