Mamata has her way, Cong agrees to 14:28 formula

After day-long hectic parleys, the Congress finally accepted Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee’s seat-sharing formula on Wednesday. The Congress gets to contest 14 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, while the Trinamool gets the remaining 28.

Mamata did not officially react to the development but appeared satisfied. Soon after getting the news, she began painting the picture of Holi sitting in a corner of her residence in an apparent expression of pleasure.

The pact was reached after two rounds of phone talk between Mamata and Congress general secretary in charge of West Bengal Keshav Rao. West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) sources said Rao urged Mamata to be flexible but she stuck to her guns.

Finally, the Congress gave in late in the evening. Senior WBPCC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy personally went to Mamata’s residence to convey the Congress’s acceptance of her 14:28 formula. He told Mamata that external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee wanted her to lead the anti-Left movement in West Bengal in the coming days.

The sudden, late-evening decision of the Congress to accept the Mamata formula surprised many, as till afternoon, leaders of the parties were issuing statements against each other.

While Mamata threatened to field a candidate against Pranab, Congress’ Nirbed Roy said in the absence of an alliance, she will be defeated.