USDF allies to contest 147 seats

People's Democratic Conference of India and Party for Democratic Socialism, partners in the United Secular Democratic Front, today forged a poll alliance with 12 smaller political parties to fight the coming Assembly election.

The two parties said they had distanced themselves from the Congress after it failed to allot them any seat to contest out of the 65 constituencies it had got from the Trinamool Congress as per the seat-sharing deal.

PDCI chairman Siddiqullah Chowdhury told a press conference that the Congress gave no 'positive response' to sustain the alliance and regretted that its attitude forced them to decide on contesting 147 seats in the first phase.

The alliance would contest the CPI(M)-led Left Front besides Congress and Trinamool Congress, PDCI sources here said.

Chowdhury said that the alliance comprised JD (S), Janata Dal, Republican Party of India, RLD and some smaller parties in the state.

''Congress gave us the word to go for seat adjustment with us, but it did not,'' Siddiqullah alleged, saying the alliance would contest those seats which have 'potential'.

Releasing its candidates lists, Siddiqullah said it would contest in the Jadavpur constituency against Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his Trinamool Congress rival Manish Gupta.

The alliance, he said, would also put a candidate at Nalhati from where Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit Mukherjee is likely to contest.

Siddiqullah said that USDF partners would meet here on Saturday to finalise its second list of candidates.