Bengal polls: Congress, CPI(M) hopeful of solving seat sharing issues

Kolkata: Faced with seat sharing issues, trouble shooters of Congress and CPI(M) termed it as an "unfolding story" and said they were hopeful of defusing the situation within the next few days.

In what is being viewed as a hitch in the Congress-Left Front electoral tie-up in West Bengal, the second list of 84 candidates announced by the Front yesterday contained names of 11 seats that had already been announced by Congress.

"It is an unfolding story. You have to wait for some time more to get a complete picture. We are hopeful of an outcome in the next few days," CPI(M) politburo member Mohammed Salim said.

Another CPI(M) leader, who did not wish to be named said, "Talks are on with Congress' state and central leadership. We are very much hopeful that the situation will be neutralised within next few days. We all need to walk an extra mile and be more flexible in order to respect the aspirations of the masses."

Left Front Chairman Biman Bose said talks are still on and he hoped that a solution would be worked out.

"Talks are on and we are hopeful that we will not let the anti-TMC votes split. We will defuse the situation and not let it go out of hand, even if a few seats witness a friendly fight. Trinamool Congress, BJP and many other entities don't want this alliance to take shape," a senior Congress leader privy to the seat adjustment talks said.

State Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury last night had said his party was "sincere" about a tie-up with the Left but is ready for a three-cornered contest if such situation arise.

The Left Front had announced their first list of 116 candidates on Monday and Congress had come out with their list of 75 candidates on Tuesday.