Seven for Jayant: SP and RLD reach agreement on Lok Sabha seat-sharing

Amid continuing seat-sharing talks with the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has worked out a formula with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), announcing on Friday that it will give the latter seven of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Both SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and RLD president Jayant Chaudhary took to social media to talk about the alliance following a meeting between the two at the former’s residence in Lucknow on Friday. In a post accompanied by a photograph of the two leaders on X on Friday, Yadav wrote, “Congratulations to everyone on the alliance of Rashtriya Lok Dal and SP! Let us all unite for victory!”

Said Choudhary, “Always ready to protect national and constitutional values. We expect all the workers of our alliance to move forward together for the development and prosperity of our region!”

RLD national general secretary Anupam Mishra on Friday told The Indian Express, “The SP has agreed to give us seven seats. We cannot release the details as to which seven seats have been decided for the RLD. That will become clear in the coming days.”

Sources in the RLD said the seven seats could include Mathura, Baghpat, Fatehpur Sikri, Bijnor, and some other seats in western UP. Former SP MLC and national spokesperson Udaiveer, however, said that the specifics should not be divulged yet “due to strategic reasons”.

After the meeting between the SP and the Congress on Wednesday, SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav told the media, “Aadhaa raasta teh kar liya, aur baaki aadhaa bhi the kar lenge (we have covered half the distance and will cover the rest).”

Asked about the seat-sharing agreement between the SP and RLD being announced amid talks with the Congress, RLD national spokesperson Anil Dubey said, “The talks