Lucknow: Sending out a signal to its ally Samajwadi Party on seat sharing, newly appointed Congress in-charge for Uttar Pradesh Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday said that the Congress should get half the seats to contest in the 2027 state assembly elections.“Whenever there are two brothers in a family, they get an equal share in everything,” Gautam, who was on his maiden visit to UP after getting the new assignment, told TOI.Greeted by party workers in different cities of UP on his way to Lucknow, Gautam told several media persons that “Congress is the elder brother and deserved 170 seats”.The statement marks a shift in the Congress’s approach after its improved performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, signaling that it is no longer willing to play the role of a junior partner in Uttar Pradesh.Earlier, TOI had reported that the Congress has initiated organisational preparations across all 403 assembly constituencies while internally identifying nearly 170 seats as its principal pool for eventual alliance negotiations.According to party sources, while the exercise is aimed at strengthening the organisation across the state, it is also intended to bolster the party’s bargaining position whenever formal seat-sharing talks begin.The Congress believes its improved strike rate in the Lok Sabha elections, coupled with renewed organisational activity, has strengthened its claim for a substantially larger share of seats than in previous electoral arrangements.Meanwhile, Gautam received a warm welcome from workers before reaching Lucknow around 7.30pm. Thereafter, he paid floral tributes at the statues of BR Ambedkar, Avanti Bai Lodhi, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel before meeting UP Congress functionaries and workers at the party headquarters.Gautam’s appointment comes at a time when the Congress is attempting to rebuild organisation in Uttar Pradesh after decades of decline.Party leaders believe the momentum gained in 2024 Lok Sabha elections offers an opportunity to the Congress to expand its footprint before the 2027 assembly polls, while simultaneously negotiating a more favourable seat-sharing arrangement within the opposition alliance.“A lot of efforts have gone in strengthening the organisational base of the party over the past couple of years. I would fortify it further and take it to the village level. Also, selection of suitable and strong candidates will be a key priority,” he said.Replying to a media query on the Ram Temple Trust donation row, Gautam alleged that donations received for the temple lacked transparency and questioned the accountability of the Trust.He claimed that nearly Rs 1,400 crore collected before the temple’s construction remained unaccounted for and said responsibility could not be shifted solely to junior employees arrested in the case.Gautam also questioned the alleged delay in lodging of FIR and criticised the Trust’s decision to spend Rs 12 crore annually on private security, claiming the arrangement raised concerns over the handling of donations.‘Make it 403 seats’, says AkhileshSamajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav apparently downplayed the development saying that it will only prompt ‘double preparation’ to defeat the BJP in 2027 polls. “Make it 403 seats,” Akhilesh said when asked to comment on Rajendra Pal Gautam’s statement that Congress was preparing to contest on half of the total of 403 assembly seats. “They (Congress) will prepare on 403 seats, and we (SP) will also work on 403 seats. Together it will come to 806 seats. This means double preparations are underway to defeat the BJP. There is nothing wrong with that,” he said with a smile.
