Samajwadi Party and Congress alliance gears up for by-elections in UP against NDA

Lucknow: Following the recent triumph of the INDIA bloc in Uttar Pradesh, the political landscape is set for a new clash in the upcoming by-elections for nine Assembly seats. The coalition of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress has shown significant strength, but questions remain about the longevity of their alliance.

The by-elections have been necessitated by nine MLAs from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party who won seats in the Lok Sabha elections and have since resigned from the Assembly.

In a move seen as reinforcing the stability of the alliance, the Samajwadi Party welcomed Rahul Gandhi’s decision to retain the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat, vacating Wayanad in Kerala. SP leaders described this as a strategic decision with an eye on the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav reaffirmed the alliance’s commitment to public service in a post on social media platform X, stating, “The symbol of public aspiration, the INDIA bloc, will stay firm on its commitment towards public service, will stay united, and will continue to be committed towards the Constitution, democracy, reservation, honour, dignity, and pride of the people, towards eradicating unemployment, price rise, and corruption.”

Rajendra Chaudhary, chief spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party, echoed this sentiment. “Indeed, it’s a big political development. We welcome Congress’s decision. It’s after a long time that the Congress managed to mark its presence in UP. The presence of Rahul Gandhi would surely help the party in the upcoming 2027 state Assembly elections,” he said.

The SP has confirmed that the alliance with Congress will continue in the forthcoming by-elections. Although there is some hesitation about the long-term future of the coalition for the 2027 Assembly elections, leaders like Akhilesh Yadav have spoken positively about the alliance.

“The INDIA bloc will stay together. Long live INDIA bloc,” Akhilesh declared at a meeting in New Delhi following the Lok Sabha election results on June 4. The SP-Congress alliance achieved unprecedented success, securing 43 of the 80 UP Lok Sabha seats, surpassing the BJP and its allies, who managed 36 seats.