The Congress leadership has shared a list of around 170 seats with the Samajwadi Party (SP) as the two parties begin discussions on seat-sharing for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, sources said.According to Congress sources, the party has categorised the seats into four groups — A, B, C and D — based on its assessment of its position on the ground.The party's position on Category A seats is almost final, leaving little room for compromise, sources said. Some changes could be made to Category B seats, while the Congress is open to negotiations over seats placed in Categories C and D.The Congress is not insisting on a specific number of seats but wants a respectable share in the alliance, sources said.
Several rounds of discussions are expected before the two parties finalise their seat-sharing arrangement. A joint committee comprising leaders from the Congress and the Samajwadi Party is also likely to be formed soon to negotiate the distribution of seats, sources indicated.The final number of seats contested by each party will be decided after further rounds of talks.
A senior Congress source said defeating the BJP was the shared objective of the two parties and that both sides would consider making the necessary sacrifices to achieve it.- Ends