Today at the first Congress- Left Front meeting on seat sharing for the coming state Assembly elections, PCC leadership initially asked for 130 constituencies out of 294 seats. The front leadership asked constituency wise review, it was learnt.
The seat share of Congress was 92 in the 2016 Assembly polls.Former PCC chief Pradip Bhattacharya said today that the talks will continue as the final arrangements have not yet been reached.
Seeking to beat Trinamul Congress and BJP to the draw, the Congress-Left combine aims to finalise are the seat sharing arrangements by 31 January, it was learnt.
Congress had won in 44 constituencies and emerged as the principal Opposition party after years in the last Assembly polls. Hinting at his party’s poll promises, Bhattacharya said that it would be employment generation.
PCC chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had earlier sought an estimate from the different district leaderships about the number of seats in which the party stands a chance of victory. The total number of these seats in this list crosses 150 and had to be reduced.
Some district leaderships like in Malda and Purulia sought to contest in all the seats, it was learnt. Such demands were set aside.
The PCC leadership may settle down to around 100-odd seats, it was learnt. The day’s meeting which was held amidst a congenial atmosphere will soon be be followed by next round of talks for seat sharing.