Stalemate In Seat-Sharing Talks: Congress And Samajwadi Party Hit Roadblock Ahead Of Lok Sabha Elections

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party's negotiations for seat-sharing in the Lok Sabha elections hit a roadblock on Monday as an agreement couldn't be reached. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav had previously stated that he wouldn't partake in Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra until the seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress was finalized.

Akhilesh Yadav expressed readiness to join the Congress' Nyay Yatra once seat allocation was settled. However, sources indicated that Yadav was unwilling to concede the Moradabad seat to the Congress. Additionally, the Congress sought the Bijnor seat, which was declined by the Samajwadi Party.

The Moradabad seat was won by the Samajwadi Party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the mayor's election in Moradabad, the Congress narrowly lost, finishing second.

Furthermore, the Congress is eyeing the Ballia seat, known as one of the strongholds of the Samajwadi Party, for its state president Ajay Rai.

On Monday, the Samajwadi Party proposed offering 17 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. They also announced 11 more candidates from Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming general elections, including Mukhtar Ansari's brother, a former don turned politician, and BSP MP Afzal Ansari.

Earlier, on January 30, the Samajwadi Party had unveiled its first list of candidates for 16 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party are members of the opposition INDIA bloc.