W.Bengal Polls: Gandhi instructs Mukherjee to meet TMC leaders
March 21st, 2011 - 4:08 pm ICT by ANI
New Delhi, Mar. 21 (ANI): Congress president Sonia Gandhi met senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee and her political secretary Ahmed Patel on Monday to discuss the proposed seat-sharing arrangement with the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress for assembly polls in West Bengal.
Following the meeting with Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence, Mukherjee will be meeting with TMC representatives at 5 p.m. this evening. A final decision on the issue is expected at 5.30 p.m.
The first phase of voting in the state will take place on April 18, second phase on April 23, third phase on April 27, fourth phase on May 3, fifth phase on May 7 and sixth phase on May 10.
Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee had set the Congress a Monday deadline to come to an understanding on the seat-sharing issue.
Banerjee has said that if no agreement is reached, the TMC is ready to field candidates in all 292 seats, as opposed to the 228 earlier.
According to sources, the Congress Central Election Committee is expected to meet at 5 p.m. at party President Sonia Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence here.
Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed has hinted that the party could consider tie-ups with smaller regional parties if talks with the TMC fail.
He told media persons here that the TMC was the Congress party’s ‘first choice’.
“If no consensus is reached on seat sharing arrangements with Trinamool Congress, the Congress party would consider a tie up with the smaller parties in West Bengal which are seeking an alliance with us,” Ahmed said.
He added: “Although, we hope that in the coming days a consensus will be achieved with the Trinamool Congress through negotiations, as of now we would just like to say that the talks have been inconclusive. We need some more time to arrive at a decision.”
The Congress is eyeing at least one-third of the seats in West Bengal and at least six winnable seats.
On Friday, Banerjee allotted 64 seats to the Congress while releasing a list of 228 TMC candidates for the upcoming polls.
The move has ruffled feathers in the Congress. Political analysts say the deadlock would hamper their election campaign strategies. (ANI)
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Tags: assembly polls, central election, congress party, congress president sonia gandhi, election committee, field candidates, fifth phase, fourth phase, general secretary, mamata banerjee, media persons, party leader, party president, political secretary, pranab mukherjee, regional parties, shakeel ahmed, sixth phase, tie ups, west bengal