Story perspectives

Congress insists on 150 UP seats despite Samajwadi pushback

By Drooid · Oct 4, 2026, 10:53 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Samajwadi Party MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel criticised Congress’s demand for 150 Uttar Pradesh seats.
Patel said Congress deserves only seven or eight seats, citing its two MLAs versus SP’s 125.
Akhilesh Yadav ordered SP leaders to keep seat-sharing opinions about Congress internal.
Congress Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said the party will not contest fewer than 150 seats.
Gautam added Congress has candidates for all 403 constituencies and seeks a 50% seat share.

History

Historical Context

In the 2004 Lok Sabha election, Congress sought 200 seats and negotiated with regional parties such as DMK (which supplied 20 seats), while parties like SP and BSP stayed independent, creating a four-cornered fight in Uttar Pradesh. The resulting UPA coalition, backed by over 335 MPs, shows how seat-sharing disputes have long shaped coalition stability, a pattern echoed in today’s SP-Congress clash over 150 UP seats.

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Story summary

Samajwadi Party MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel criticised Congress’s demand for 150 Uttar Pradesh seats.
Patel said Congress deserves only seven or eight seats, citing its two MLAs versus SP’s 125.
Akhilesh Yadav ordered SP leaders to keep seat-sharing opinions about Congress internal.
Congress Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said the party will not contest fewer than 150 seats.
Gautam added Congress has candidates for all 403 constituencies and seeks a 50% seat share.

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