Congress denies role in posters demanding 200 seats

Lucknow Posters demanding 200 seats for the Congress in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections have appeared in Lucknow, triggering a political exchange between the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The posters, spotted outside the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters, carried the slogan “200 seats are our right” and expressed confidence in Rahul Gandhi. They featured photographs of senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The development comes amid discussions over seat-sharing between the Congress and the SP, both members of the INDIA opposition bloc in Uttar Pradesh. The state Congress has denied having any role in putting up the posters. SP president Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of putting up what he described as fake posters to create confusion and strain relations between the alliance partners. He also questioned how the posters were installed without the required municipal fees being paid and called for an investigation into the matter. Yadav alleged that the incident could involve either corruption or pressure from the government. He said his party was documenting such incidents and demanded accountability from the officials concerned. The allegations have not been independently established. The BJP, meanwhile, described the posters as evidence of differences between the Congress and the SP over seat-sharing. The party argued that the demand reflected competing ambitions within the opposition alliance. Congress leaders have reportedly submitted a list of between 175 and 200 constituencies for consideration. Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders have said the final decision on seat-sharing will be taken by the party’s senior leadership after discussions with alliance partners. The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 seats, making seat allocation a key issue for the two parties ahead of the 2027 elections. SP leaders have maintained that seat-sharing should be decided by the alliance leadership based on the strength of candidates and their chances of winning, rather than through public demands. The episode has added to the political debate over how the Congress and SP will negotiate their respective roles as they prepare to challenge the ruling BJP in the state.