Lucknow: Congress Denies Role in '200 Seats' Posters as Akhilesh Yadav Calls Them Fake and BJP Sees Alliance Rift

Posters outside the Uttar Pradesh Congress headquarters in Lucknow declaring '200 seat haq hai hamara' — 200 seats are our right, yaani about half of the state's 403 Assembly seats — have triggered a three-way political exchange ahead of the 2027 UP elections. The state Congress has denied any role in putting up the posters. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged the BJP put up fake posters to create confusion between the INDIA bloc partners — an allegation that has not been independently established. The BJP said the posters were evidence of differences between the Congress and the SP over seat-sharing.

Awaaz Punjab Investigations Desk25 October 20263 min readRead in all 3 languages

Lucknow — A poster war broke out outside the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters in Lucknow on Sunday, with banners declaring '200 seat haq hai hamara' (200 seats are our right) ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, ANI reported. The hoardings featured photographs of Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Source: ANI via Khelja

The posters followed reports that Congress leaders have submitted a wishlist of Assembly constituencies to their INDIA bloc partner, the Samajwadi Party (SP). Reports put the list at between 175 and 200 of the state's 403 seats — a claim to nearly half the Assembly that challenges the SP's position as the dominant partner in the alliance in Uttar Pradesh. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won six parliamentary seats in the state, led in 38 Assembly segments and finished second in another 42, a performance its workers cite for a bigger share.

Source: ANI via Khelja

Congress denial and Akhilesh Yadav's allegation

The state Congress has denied having any role in putting up the posters, according to City Hilights reporting published late on Sunday. SP president Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of putting up what he described as fake posters to create confusion and strain relations between the alliance partners. He also questioned how the posters were installed without the required municipal fees being paid and called for an investigation, alleging the incident could involve corruption or government pressure. Those allegations have not been independently established.

Source: IBC World News / City Hilights

The BJP, meanwhile, described the posters as evidence of differences between the Congress and the SP over seat-sharing, arguing that the demand reflected competing ambitions within the opposition alliance. Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders have said the final decision on seat-sharing will be taken by the party's senior leadership after discussions with alliance partners. No seat-sharing agreement for 2027 has been announced.

Source: IBC World News / City Hilights

Sources

ANI via Khelja — Congress Demands 200 Assembly Seats in Uttar Pradesh Alliance Talks (Oct 25, 2026) — https://khelja.in/congress-demands-200-assembly-seats-in-uttar-pradesh-alliance-talks.htm

IBC World News / City Hilights — Congress denies role in posters demanding 200 seats (Oct 25, 2026, 23:53 IST) — https://www.ibcworldnews.com/news/congress-denies-role-in-posters-demanding-200-seats