UP Election: In seat sharing formula with SP, Congress to pitch for 100 seats

If the Congress and the Samajwadi Party forge an alliance for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls, the former is likely to get 100 seats, as a part of the seat sharing deal.

Lucknow, Jan 10: The Congress, which is gearing up for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2017, will pitch for at least 100 seats if it enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

Although alliance talks are yet to be formalised, the Congress feels that if it forge a pact with the SP, then it would seek 100 seats in the 403 member UP assembly.

The Congress had put on hold any talks of an alliance as there was a rift within the SP. With Mulayam Singh Yadav announcing on Monday that there is no rift in the party, talks between the leaders of the two parties may commence anytime soon.

While Mulayam had indicated that he is not in favour of an alliance, his son Akhilesh had sent feelers to the Congress. The Congress has not committed anything as yet. In fact, it had already drawn out its list of probable candidates for the elections.

A Congress leader said that the list drawn out is only of probable candidates. "Our poll advisors have told us that in case of an alliance, we need to pitch for at least 100 seats," added the Congress leader.

Hinting an alliance, Akhilesh had recently said that if the two parties come together then they could win at least 300 seats. Although the the top leaders of both parties have not yet had any formal meeting, party workers have been told to be ready for a seat sharing formula.

Both the SP and the Congress workers have been told that in case of an alliance, the latter would be given 100 seats.

The Congress is desperately looking to improve its tally in UP. In 2012, the Congress had won just 28 seats. A few months later it went on to win a by-poll and increased its tally to 29. However, over the next few years it saw nine of its legislators defect to the BSP, SP and BJP.

OneIndia News