Congress calls off seat-sharing talks with Left in Bengal after CPM-led front announces 25 candidates

Kolkata: The West Bengal unit of the Congress on Sunday called off seat-sharing talks with the CPM-led Left Front for the Lok Sabha polls, after weeks of hectic parleys failed to resolve the impasse over distribution of seats. “It has been decided by our party unit that we don’t want any adjustment or alliance by compromising our dignity. The Left can’t dictate us on who will be a candidate and who won’t. We will fight it alone in Bengal,” state Congress chief Somen Mitra said after a party meet in Kolkata. The Congress was miffed at the CPM announcing the list of its 25 candidates in the state and had expressed the party’s displeasure over the Left Front not respecting the rules of alliance. West Bengal, which sends 42 members to Lok Sabha, will now witness a four-cornered contest between the Trinamool Congress, BJP, Left Front and Congress.