Bengal assembly polls: Congress, Trinamool Congress strike deal

After discussions among senior leader, Trimaool Congress and Congress struck a deal to fight together in West Bengal assembly elections. It is decided that Trinamool Congress will contest 229 seats and Congress 65.

Mamata Banerjee had sprung a surprise on Congress on Friday by unilaterally announcing her party's decision to contest 228 seats.

Trinamool had made the announcement despite Congress seeking some more time as it could not reach a consensus on either the number of seats or the constituencies to be shared.

After coming from abroad Sonia Gandhi met finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and her political secretary Ahmed Patel.

They discussed the situation in the context of Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee unilaterally announcing 64 seats for Congress against its demand of around 90.

There was no official word about what transpired at the hour-long meeting between Gandhi and Mukhejee. However, Mukherjee spoke to Banerjee over phone and conveyed Gandhi's views on the issue.

Earlier in the day, Shakeel Ahmed had said that the Congress wanted an alliance with Trinamool Congress while at the same time preparing for even contesting all the seats as a contingency plan.