Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) The Congress Thursday said its alliance with Trinamool Congress in West Bengal will be in the best interest of both the parties, but refused to spell out the minimum expectations of seats it had from its ally.

“The agreement will be in the best interest of both the parties and people of West Bengal. We will march to victory,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said here.

He said each party tries to get the best deal during negotiations and the Congress and Trinamool Congress have a good relationship.

“Both Congress and Trinamool Congress will get a good deal,” he said.

Congress sources said that the party has sought around 100 seats from the Trinamool Congress in the 294-assembly. They said that Trinamool Congress has so far offered 58 seats to the party.

Former union minister Shakeel Ahmed, who is the party’s in-charge in West Bengal, told IANS Wednesday that informal discussions had taken place with the Trinamool and formal seat sharing talks between the two parties would take place within a week.

West Bengal goes to assembly polls in staggered six-phased elections starting April 18.

Congress leaders said that the party may adopt a different approach during talks in West Bengal from its negotiations with DMK in Tamil Nadu.

“The need for DMK to have an alliance with Congress was more than it is for Trinamool Congress,” a senior party leader said.

He said that the party would look at the broader picture in West Bengal and there may not be too hard posturing for seats. He said that the goal was to defeat the Left Front government which has been in power in the state for over three decades.