Salempur Samajwadi Party MP Ramashankar Rajbhar ‘Vidyarthi’ on Saturday claimed that the seat-sharing formula for the INDIA bloc had been finalised ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He also said the party's election manifesto would be released on November 26.
Speaking to news agency PTI, at his residence in Belthara Bazar village on Saturday evening, Rajbhar said the alliance would prioritise winning seats over the number of constituencies contested by each party.
“Our formula is set. It is a single, unified formula — one designed to ensure victory for the INDIA bloc,” he said.
“The Samajwadi Party will contest the seats it is capable of winning, and the Congress will contest the seats where it has a strong chance of victory. In this election, the specific number of seats does not matter; what matters is winning,” Rajbhar told PTI.
On the Samajwadi Party's election manifesto, Rajbhar said all preparations had been completed and it would be released on November 26. He added that the document would address pressing issues faced by the public.
Responding to Congress leaders' claims for more than 175 seats, Rajbhar said every party had the right to stake a claim, but the final allocation would be decided by the leadership of both parties.
“Everyone has the right to stake a claim. Ultimately, the seats for the INDIA bloc will be determined by the top leadership of both parties,” he said.
The remarks came a day after Congress' Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam had told PTI that the party had shared a list of constituencies with Samajwadi Party leaders and that the two sides would soon hold detailed discussions on seat-sharing.
“I can't give you the exact numbers, but we have submitted a list for 175 to 200 seats,” Gautam told PTI on Friday, indicating that the Congress was open to negotiations ahead of the elections to the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
Gautam said the leadership of both parties would meet to work out the details of the seat-sharing arrangement.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had also said on Friday that strengthening the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the INDIA bloc was essential to defeating the BJP.
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Yadav said the alliance would work collectively to remove the BJP from power and move forward effectively to defeat it.
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are due in early 2027.
The Congress contested the 2022 Assembly elections independently but won only two of the state's 403 seats, down from seven in 2017. However, the 2024 Lok Sabha election results have raised the party's expectations of a stronger role in the state, with the Congress winning six seats and the Samajwadi Party securing 37, while the BJP won 33.
The upcoming contest is expected to be centred on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Samajwadi Party-led Opposition, with the Congress seeking a substantial share of seats in a renewed alliance. Smaller NDA allies, including Apna Dal (S) and the Nishad Party, could also influence the contest, while the Bahujan Samaj Party remains a separate factor amid the state's caste equations and seat-sharing calculations.
(With inputs from PTI)