Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday, 25 October fired a pointed salvo at the Congress party over its seat-sharing demands ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2027, declaring that he would 'not have given more than 25 seats' to the Congress had the decision been his to make. His remarks, delivered to reporters in Etawah, come amid a simmering public dispute between the Congress and its INDIA bloc partner, the Samajwadi Party (SP), over the division of seats in India's most electorally significant state.

The Trigger: Congress Hoardings and Bold Seat Claims

The BJP leader's remarks were a direct response to Congress hoardings that had appeared near the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) in Lucknow, carrying the slogans '200 seats are our right' and 'Uttar Pradesh trusts Rahul Gandhi'. The posters featured images of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Imran Masood, Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Aradhana Mona Misra, and Uttar Pradesh party In-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam. The hoarding blitz was widely read as Congress staking a maximalist claim — a signal to the SP that it expects a substantial share of the alliance's seat count.

Brij Bhushan Singh's Jab and Reading of UP Politics

Dismissing the Congress's assertiveness, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told reporters: 'If we had to give seats, we would not have given more than 25 (to the Congress).' When asked about the broader state of UP politics heading into 2027, the BJP leader offered a measured but pointed assessment: 'Political scenario in Uttar Pradesh is progressing quite well. All parties are working vigorously and with great enthusiasm. The 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections will be interesting.' He also took a dig at a recent meeting between SP President Akhilesh Yadav and jailed SP leader Azam Khan at jail premises, remarking dryly: 'They should have met a little earlier.'

BJP Spokesperson Cites Congress's Shrinking Demands in By-Elections

BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh weighed in separately, recounting what he described as a pattern of Congress capitulation during recent by-elections. 'During the by-elections, Congress leaders initially demanded seven out of the 10 seats. Then they said they would settle for five seats, followed by two seats. After that, they even requested that their candidates be allowed to contest on the Samajwadi Party's election symbol. But Akhilesh Yadav did not give them even a single seat,' he said. He added that the final decision on seat allocation rests entirely with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

SP's Own Claim: Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP

Notably, the intra-alliance tension unfolds against a backdrop of the SP asserting its own primacy within the opposition camp. SP MP Awadhesh Prasad earlier this month said: 'It has become completely clear that if there is any party in India capable of keeping the Bharatiya Janata Party away from power, there is only one party, and that is the Samajwadi Party. There is only one leader, Akhilesh Yadav. Apart from him, there is no other party or leader in the country who can defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party.' The statement, made to reporters, underscored the SP's reluctance to cede ground to a Congress that, critics argue, lacks independent organisational depth in Uttar Pradesh. This is the latest in a series of public friction points between the two INDIA bloc partners in the state, with over a year still remaining before the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

With seat-sharing talks yet to formally begin, the coming months will test whether the SP-Congress alliance can hold together — or fracture before it faces the BJP.