SP, Congress trying to crack LS seat-sharing deal

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New Delhi: In an indication that their talks have entered a rough patch, Samajwadi Party and Congress today decided to find ‘common ground’ in Uttar Pradesh, instead of carrying out discussions on a ‘seat-by-seat’ basis for the Lok Sabha polls.

The second round of seat-sharing talks between the two

parties saw both sides deciding to exchange lists of seats in

apparent attempts to avoid acrimony over the issue.

The move has come in the backdrop of the SP's refusal

to give an extra inch to the Congress in UP and also rejecting

suggestions for 'friendly fight' in a few seats like Rampur

and Pratapgarh which were won by the Samajwadi Party last

time.

Sources said that the idea to avoid talks on a seat-by-

seat basis was aimed at finding ‘common ground’ for a lasting

alliance.

The Congress side was led by Rahul Gandhi, with party

general secretary in-charge of UP Digvijay Singh and State

Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi also present.

SP general secretary Amar Singh and SP parliamentary

party leader Ram Gopal Yadav represented the Mulayam Singh

Yadav-led party.

Joshi later said the talks were cordial and the next

meeting would take place sometime next week. Amar Singh had a

meeting with Mulayam later but both refused to say anything on

the talks.

SP is also seeking a ‘few seats’ in Maharashtra, Karnataka and

Madhya Pradesh where the Congress is in a much better

position.

The SP had won 39 seats in the last Lok Sabha elections,

while the Congress had emerged victorious in nine

constituencies.