The Congress and the Samajwadi Party on Sunday discussed strategies to enhance coordination within the INDI Alliance and win maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the coming general election.

After settling initial differences, the Congress and the SP had forged an alliance among themselves. On the instructions of the party high command, the Congress is now considering the SP as its senior partner.

Congress state president Ajay Rai and party’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Avinash Pandey met Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav at the latter’s office to discuss the names of probable candidates to be fielded by the Congress in 17 seats allocated to them by the SP.

The Congress and the SP are contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in UP under the banner of the Indi Alliance. As part of the pre-poll deal, the Congress has been allotted 17 seats under the alliance. The SP and its smaller allies will contest the election on the remaining seats.

Before meeting Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leaders held a meeting at the party headquarters in connection with the selection of candidates. According to sources, the leaders of the two parties discussed the names of potential Congress candidates for the 17 allotted seats.

Akhilesh Yadav has time and again said that the candidature of the probable candidates would be decided together by the two parties.

After the meeting, Congress UP in-charge Avinash Pandey said that the leaders of both the parties deliberated on winning all the 80 seats.

“We will continue to hold meetings to evolve strategy for election campaign and victory. Our endeavour is aimed at ensuring the win of INDI Alliance candidates on all the 80 seats in UP,” he said.

SP leader Udayveer Singh said that the meeting of the Congress-SP Coordination Committee will be held on Monday as well. We will hold detailed discussions regarding preparations on the 17 seats given to the Congress. Even today, both the sides exchanged suggestions,” he disclosed.

On Sunday morning, a meeting was also held at the Congress headquarters in connection with the selection of candidates.

Members of the State Congress Election Committee participated in this meeting in which state president Ajay Rai, Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari, former MP P L Punia, leader of Congress legislature party Aradhana Mishra Mona, MLA Virendra Chaudhary, former MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, and Supriya Srinetra were present.