Congress decision to leave field for SP a tactical retreat or politically risky?

The Congress may be portraying its decision to leave all the nine Uttar Pradesh assembly by-election seats to the Samajwadi Party as a tactical retreat but the move, the first in the state’s electoral history, leaves many questions unanswered and is fraught with the risk of pushing the grand old party into political oblivion again in Uttar Pradesh.
Though the Congress and the Samajwadi Party have supported each other on many occasions in the past and forged an alliance twice (2017 and 2024), this is the first time that the grand old party has left the field for its ally in Uttar Pradesh where the politically significant by-elections are being touted as the mini-assembly election.
The first obvious question is about the possible gains and losses that the grand old party may have. “This decision marks the beginning of a clean and positive politics. We have taken this decision in the larger interest of state and defeat the BJP in the by-elections,” said All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (incharge UP) Avinash Pandey.
The Congress has been often accused of not following the coalition dharma in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana where the party failed to form a government, watching its own political interests and ignoring the allies.
By opting out of the poll fray, the Congress has tried to give the message that it relies on the allies (in this case, the Samajwadi Party, one of the main constituents of INDIA bloc) in the fight against the BJP.
The Congress, however, has tried to give the message that it is sacrificing its own interest for a large section of minorities that back the SP in the fight for power in the state and consider the grand old party an option for the Centre.
“Question is not about strengthening the Congress. It’s time to save the Constitution and strengthen the feeling of brotherhood and harmony. With the consent of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president (Ajay Rai), we have decided not to field candidates in the Uttar Pradesh assembly by-election and work for victory of INDIA bloc candidates,” Pandey said to media persons in New Delhi on Thursday.
Others in Congress call the move an apt reply to the SP’s political one-upmanship. “The Congress staked claim to fight five out of 10 seats that were scheduled to go to bypolls. It was ready to climb down to three or four seats when the Election Commission of India announced by-election to nine assembly seats. The SP, however, wanted to give only two seats to the Congress. By not agreeing to the SP’s offer, the Congress has given a message to the Samajwadi Party to treat the grand old party as an equal partner if the alliance continues for 2027 assembly elections,” said a senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP.
Some other leaders said the Congress’ move may appear advantageous to the SP in the short term, it will eventually help the grand old party in strengthening its position in the state.
The Congress, which has remained out of power in the state since 1989, gave signals of coming out of political oblivion in Uttar Pradesh in 2024 Lok Sabha elections when its tally jumped to six seats from one seat in 2019.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was credited with creating a favourable atmosphere in favour of his party by aggressively raising the issues of caste census, reservation and the threat to the Constitution.
Rahul Gandhi made forays into the same vote banks that the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav tried to consolidate by eyeing the Pichda (backward classes), Dalits and Alpsankhyaks (minorities) or the PDA.
The SP, with a strong organisational base, emerged as the largest party in the state, winning 37 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. Both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party declared that the two parties will contest the by-election as partners of the INDIA bloc.
The Congress, at last, has decided to support the Samajwadi Party on all the nine seats going for the by-polls.
The Samajwadi Party now has the greater responsibility of coming out with results that may further justify its role as the leading INDIA bloc partner in Uttar Pradesh.
Reacting to the announcement by Congress, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand said, “We welcome the decision by the Congress as it is the need of the hour that INDIA alliance should be strengthened and BJP should be defeated at any cost. I am sure we are going to win all nine assembly seats on which bypolls are going to be held.”
What went on behind the scenes
The Congress leaders claim the decision not to field any candidates in the by-election was the outcome of a well-thought-out strategy.
But the circumstances that preceded the decision speak that the SP’s reluctance to offer the desired number of seats led to the grand old party’s move.
Those aware of the development said the Congress conveyed its decision to the Samajwadi Party after senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav spoke to each other over the phone. Within minutes, Yadav made the decision known to the public through a post on X on Wednesday late evening.
The SP had initially conveyed to the Congress that it was ready to offer only two seats to it. The SP later agreed to give Phulpur seat too but the Congress apparently wanted Majhwan (Mirzapur) seat also.
When Akhilesh Yadav spoke to Rahul Gandhi, he said the SP was also ready to offer Phulpur assembly seat.
As the SP had declared its candidates for seven seats the Congress was left with the choice of having Ghaziabad and Khair (Aligarh). The eighth seat of Kundarki was held by the SP and thus not considered for the Congress.
According to a Samajwadi Party leader, Akhilesh Yadav said the SP is ready to withdraw its candidates on the seats the Congress wanted to have. At this, Rahul Gandhi said the SP has already declared its candidates and withdrawing them may not be in the interest of the alliance.
The Congress and the Samajwadi Party got in touch with each other soon after the 10 assembly seats were declared vacant after 2024 Lok Sabha elections. After initial discussions, the SP communicated to the Congress that it could give only two of 10 seats.
Rahul Gandhi also addressed a save Constitution convention in August 2024 in Prayagraj where the bypoll for the Phulpur seat will be held. The Congress began taking steps to strengthen its organisational base on bypoll seats. The Samvidhan Sankalp Sammelan (Save Constitution Conferences) were held on all the 10 seats.