UP Assembly Elections 2017: Akhilesh Yadav concedes 105 seats, SP-Congress alliance sealed

A day after discussions between the Congress and Samajwadi Party hit a road block, the two parties on Sunday have allegedly sealed the alliance for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections with Akhilesh Yadav conceding 105 seats.

According to sources, the SP-Congress alliance has been sealed where the Congress will get 105 seats, while SP would contest for 298 seats.

Talks reportedly resumed and an alliance was formed after the intervention of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. However, so far, none of the parties have issued an official confirmation. 

On Saturday, Yadav had offered 99 seats to the Congress, saying it was the best he could do. The SP pointed out that in 2012, Congress candidates performed better than their's only in about 50 seats. 

The alliance talks reportedly fell through over the seat distribution matter. The main bone of contention between the two parties was reportedly the fact that the Congress wanted more seats in Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies, the stronghold of the Gandhi family, whereas the Samajwadi Party was unwilling to field their "failed" candidates.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday had asserted that the failure of alliance would pave the way for the lotus - the party symbol of the BJP - in the state.