Congress names 75 constituencies for Bengal poll

Kolkata: The Congress on Monday announced the names of 75 constituencies from which it will fight in the coming Assembly election in West Bengal as per an initial seat-sharing arrangement with the Left Front.

The party, however, said that it was bargaining for at least 25 more seats.

"We have finalised 75 seats, which are free from any dispute or controversy. Discussions are on with the Left parties on more seats," West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee president Adhir Chowdhury told newspersons here.

"We have expressed our desire to fight in 100-plus seats, as and when there is further development on this, we will announce that," Chowdhury said.

The names of Congress candidates for the 75 seats would be announced after receiving green signal from the party high command in Delhi, Chowdhury said.

The Left Front in West Bengal yesterday announced names of candidates for 116 seats, out of a total of 294 Assembly constituencies, which would go to poll from April 4.

Reacting to LF chairman Biman Bose's comment that the Left parties would not share the platform with the Congress for campaigning, Chowdhury said, "It would have been good if there was joint campaigning."

"It is up to them if they have any problem in sharing the platform with us, but we don't have any problem," the WBPCC president declared.

"Whether we hold joint meetings or not, the issues are identical," he said adding "we should not play any hide and seek game, the people know what is happening". He was referring to the arrangement between the LF and the Congress.

The Congress, which had fought the 2011 Assembly polls in alliance with the Trinamool Congress to overthrow the 34-year-old Left Front regime, has entered into a seat adjustment agreement with the Left to fight against the ruling party.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had walked out of the UPA II government in September, 2012 following differences over several issues including FDI in retail sector.