SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the focus should be on ensuring the alliance wins, rather than on which party contests how many seats. (File photo)

Not about seats, it's about victory: Akhilesh Yadav amid rift rumours with Congress

Amid rumours of a rift over seat-sharing for the 2027 UP Assembly polls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav sought to project Opposition unity, saying the issue was not only about seats, but about victory in the upcoming elections.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Akhilesh Yadav prioritises alliance success over seat-sharing with Congress for 2027 UP polls
  • Links alliance to safeguarding democracy, reservation and Constitution
  • Says unity could check communal politics and restore harmony nationwide

Amid seat-sharing talks with the Congress for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the success of the opposition alliance matters more than how many seats each party gets. He said a united effort was needed to protect democracy, the Constitution and reservation.

In a post on X, Yadav said the focus should be on ensuring the alliance wins, rather than on which party contests how many seats. He said such a victory would reflect a collective effort and help stop communalism from rising again.

"When the objective is clear, there is hand-in-hand cooperation; when the destination is in sight, the journey becomes easier," Yadav said. He added that the important issue was not how many seats each alliance partner gets or which seat goes to whom, but making sure that the alliance emerges victorious.

"I once again repeat: It is not about seats, it is about victory," he said.

Yadav said this would not be the victory of individual alliance partners alone, but the success of a shared effort. He said the joint struggle was also aimed at ensuring there was no "BJP heat" on democracy, the Constitution and reservation, and that harmony, development and prosperity returned to the country.

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls are scheduled for 2027.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party won 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh, including Faizabad, while its ally Congress won six seats. The BJP won 33 seats and the NDA 36 in the state.

In the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly at present, the Samajwadi Party has 101 MLAs and the Congress has two.

- Ends