SP offers 15 Lok Sabha seats in UP to Congress
What's the story
The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Monday said it will allocate 15 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats to its Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partner, the Congress, per NDTV.
Seat-sharing negotiations between the Congress and other alliance partners continue in various states amid reports of fractures within the opposition bloc.
To recall, in the 2019 elections, the Congress secured only one Lok Sabha seat in UP.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The INDIA, formed to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 elections, has been struggling with seat-sharing arrangements.
It recently lost Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a key leader, who joined hands with the BJP.
Meanwhile, CM Mamata Banerjee and the Aam Aadmi Party have announced they will go solo in West Bengal and Punjab and Haryana, respectively.
Given these challenges, the Congress must maintain its relationship with the SP, which has already announced candidates for 16 seats.
Statement
Akhilesh Yadav's condition for participation in 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday announced he will only participate in the Congress's "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra," if it accepts the 15-65 seat-sharing offer.
"We have had several rounds of discussions, exchanged many lists. When the seat-sharing is done, Samajwadi Party will participate in their Nyay yatra," said Yadav.
The yatra, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and currently on its 37th day, is expected to enter Amethi on Monday.
Rumors
'If demands not met, SP to break away from INDIA'
The SP might break away from the INDIA bloc if the Congress demands more than the 15 seats offered, sources told NDTV.
Reports said that Yadav and top Congress leaders, including Gandhi, recently met and held negotiations, but a final seat-sharing arrangement could not be agreed upon.
Earlier, the Congress's Uttar Pradesh unit chief, Ajay Rai, had said the party should get around two dozen seats it had won in the 2009 general elections.
Face-off
Gandhi vs Irani in Amethi
Meanwhile, the arrival of Gandhi's yatra in Amethi coincides with Union minister Smriti Irani's visit to the town.
Amethi, once a Gandhi family bastion, continues to be a focal point in Indian politics.
To recall, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Irani defeated Gandhi, ending his 15-year reign in Amethi.
In the upcoming elections, the Lok Sabha seat is again expected to witness a fierce battle between Gandhi and the BJP's Irani.