Posters proclaiming “200 seat haq hai hamara” (200 seats are our right) have appeared outside the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) headquarters in Lucknow, signalling the party’s ambitions ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The posters feature photographs of Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Sonia Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson.
Their appearance comes amid reports that the Congress has submitted a wishlist of 200 Assembly constituencies to its INDIA bloc ally, the Samajwadi Party (SP), as part of seat-sharing discussions for the upcoming polls.
BJP putting up ‘fake’ posters to create rift in INDIA bloc, claims Akhilesh
Reacting to the development, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, however, accused the BJP of putting up “fake” posters to create divisions within the opposition INDIA bloc.
In a post on X on Sunday, Yadav alleged that the posters had been displayed without official permission or payment of the prescribed fees. He also demanded action against municipal officials for allegedly allowing the posters to be put up without the requisite charges being paid.
Claiming that the BJP was worried about the opposition alliance, Yadav alleged that the posters were part of an attempt to fuel differences among INDIA bloc partners ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections.
The posters highlight the Congress’ “push” for roughly 200 seats as part of its seat-sharing negotiations with the SP, though not many within the SP are convinced of the former’s political heft to demand so many seats, sources told PTI.
Demanding action against the officials concerned, Yadav said the municipal authorities should be suspended for failing to act against those putting up the posters without paying the required fees.
He alleged that the “unauthorised” display of the posters is causing revenue losses to the local bodies, claiming that non-payment of fees could be aimed at concealing the identities of those behind the campaign.
Yadav also said that the SP is maintaining a date-wise record of such “incidents” and the officials responsible for them.