Congress, Trinamool begin seat-sharing exercise for civic poll in West Bengal

Congress and Trinamool Congress have started a seat-sharing exercise to jointly fight the upcoming civic elections against the ruling Left Front, state Congress chief Pranab Mukherjee today said and hoped that differences, if any, would be sorted out amicably.
    
"In some municipalities discussion on seat-sharing between the Congress and the TC has started and in some others it is likely to commence soon. We are hopeful that we will be able to reach a decision shortly," Mukherjee, also the Union finance minister, who held a meeting with district committee presidents to review seat-sharing talks, told reporters.
    
He said unlike in the Assembly or Lok Sabha polls, the seat-sharing talks for the municipal elections had been left to the district level leaderships of both the parties.
    
PCC insiders said Congress' Nadia District president Shankar Singh told the meeting that Congress can fight the polls in the district on its own because it was a greater political force than the TC there.
    
To a question Mukherjee admitted that there were problems in the tie-up arrangement in Murshidabad and Nadia districts, but was hopeful of a solution.
    
"I do not think it will come in the way (of a tie-up between Congress and TC) in Nadia and Murshidabad districts."