Lok Sabha polls: Congress calls off seat-sharing talks with Left Front\, to go alone in WB

Lok Sabha polls: Congress calls off seat-sharing talks with Left Front, to go alone in WB

Press Trust of India  |  Kolkata 

The unit of the on Sunday called off seat-sharing talks with the CPI(M)-led for polls, after weeks of hectic parleys failed to resolve the impasse over distribution of seats.

CPI(M) said he will not make any comment until and unless he gets to know anything official from the

The has called a meeting Monday to decide its next course of action.

"It has been decided by our party unit that we don't want any adjustment or alliance by compromising our dignity. can't dictate us on who will be candidate and who won't. We will fight alone in Bengal," Mitra announced after closed door party meet on Sunday evening.

The decision by the Congress Sunday paved way for four cornered contest in Bengal between the Trinamool Congress, BJP, and the Congress.

"I will be going to tonight with names of three probable candidates for every seats for the first three phases for clearance from our high command," Mitra said.

A section of the Congress leadership felt insulted over Front unilaterally announcing its list when the talks were on between both the parties, party sources said.

Front in its list announced Congress Rezaul Karim's, of the state medical cell of the party, from Birbhum seat.

The Left's candidate list mentions Karim as their candidate from Birbhum, but did not mention which party he represents.

"How can they decide who will be our candidate? Our medical cell chairman's name was declared as their Birbhum candidate without taking due permission from our side. This is absurd. So what's the use of negotiations if Left front declares candidates on our behalf?" Mitra asked

"We wanted this alliance, but unlike the CPI(M) we didn't want it to be a marriage of convenience. We wanted a credible alliance where both had equal respect, but the CPI(M) was unwilling to do that," senior state Congress said.

The Left Front announced its first list of candidates for 25 seats in for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls Friday leaving 17 constituencies for the Congress.

According to sources, the state Congress is not happy with the seats that were left for the party. Since the beginning of seat-sharing talks between both the parties, there have been several issues which had cropped up time and again.

Initially, the impasse over Raiganj and Murshidabad Lok Sabha seats were resolved after intervention of Congress and CPI(M)

The Congress later decided to leave those two seats for the CPI(M) as it had won those two seats last time.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sun, March 17 2019. 22:50 IST