LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday dismissed speculation over the number of seats Congress has sought for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, asserting that nobody knows the actual seat-sharing formula being discussed between the two INDIA bloc partners.“Someone claims 172 seats and believes they have leaked the figure. Another says 160, while someone else claims 150. Everyone thinks they know the numbers, but nobody knows the truth. We know the reality,” Akhilesh said.Emphasising opposition unity, he said the Congress and SP were committed to strengthening the INDIA alliance. “Our common objective is to remove the BJP. If we need to convince anyone to achieve that goal, we will do so. The alliance will move forward strongly to defeat the BJP,” he added.His remarks came after Congress allegedly initiated seat-sharing negotiations with SP, submitting an initial list of constituencies where it believes it can perform competitively.Congress’ Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam confirmed that the party had submitted a list covering 175 to 200 seats.“I cannot give the exact numbers, but we have submitted a list for 175 to 200 seats,” Gautam told PTI, adding that leaders of both parties would soon discuss the arrangement.However, SP leaders remain sceptical about Congress’ demand, maintaining that winnability should determine seat allocation rather than political bargaining.Congress won just two seats in the 2022 assembly elections, compared with seven in 2017.However, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections strengthened its bargaining position. Congress secured six parliamentary seats in alliance with SP, which won 37, restricting BJP to 33 seats in Uttar Pradesh.Both parties are now seeking an acceptable formula to challenge the BJP-led NDA in the 403-member assembly.
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