Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh, ruled by the BJP under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is set to go to Assembly elections in February next year. The political focus has sharpened after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where the Samajwadi Party–Congress alliance won 43 seats, denting the BJP’s performance.
In that alliance, the Samajwadi Party secured 37 seats while Congress won six. The result, as reported, meant the BJP did not get a majority on its own at the Centre, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to office with the support of allies.
Congress’ position in UP has fluctuated sharply in recent years. In the 2022 UP Assembly elections, it contested all 399 seats on its own and managed to win only two. However, the 2024 tie-up with the Samajwadi Party delivered a significantly better outcome for the party.
Rajendra Pal Gautam, newly appointed as Congress’ in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, has indicated that the party wants to play a larger role this time. He has asked for a survey to assess Congress’ winning chances in 170 constituencies, even as the state has 403 Assembly seats.
The report also says Congress is attempting to draw leaders from Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, similar to the BJP’s outreach, while trying to appeal across communities including Muslims, Thakurs, Brahmins and Dalits. With Congress last having ruled UP in 1989, the key question now is whether the Samajwadi Party will concede more seats in an alliance—an issue the BJP is expected to watch closely, anticipating friction between the partners.
