Lucknow, Sept. 28 -- For nearly a week, Samajwadi Party and Congress leaders have been trading barbs over their alliance for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, fuelling speculation about a possible split.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav sought to end the speculation on Sunday, saying, "We are fighting on the surface, but we are together internally. This is part of our strategy."
But if the alliance is intact, why are the two parties still unable to settle seat sharing?
The problem goes beyond the war of words. It reflects competing claims over political space, seats and the leadership of the anti-BJP campaign in Uttar Pradesh.
The latest controversy began with Congress MP Imran Masood. On September 21, he questioned the need for an alliance if the SP was not ready to move ahead. "If there is no alliance, we are going ahead with our own preparations," he said.
SP MP Iqra Hasan hit back, saying only Akhilesh could defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and that the Congress would gain more from an alliance.
Masood escalated the exchange on September 26. "Why don't we contest separately? Are we begging anyone?" he said.
Senior SP leaders Shivpal Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav said the Congress had little political standing in the state. Congress state president Ajay Rai's statement that his party would strengthen itself in SP strongholds added to the friction.
The SP believes it needs to contest a large number of seats to remain the principal challenger to the BJP.
But the SP is also insisting that seat claims be backed by credible candidates.
According to sources, during the July 20 meeting between Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also present, Akhilesh conveyed that the Congress would have to name candidates along with the seats it wants.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.