Talks failed because of the Left : WB Cong

The Congress Wednesday blamed CPI-M for the failure of the seat sharing talks between the two parties in West Bengal and iterated its decision to go it alone in the state.

It, however, decided not to contest five seats in south Bengal as goodwill gesture to the CPI(M) for its decision not to contest four seats won by Congress in 2014 and it was now for the CPI-M t take a call on the matter, party leader Pradip Bhttacharya said..

"The seat sharing talks failed as CPI(M) and Left Front were not keen on a formal alliance. They just wanted a seat sharing deal for this election. We were not ready for such a marriage of convenience. We were not ready to forge an seat sharing deal by compromising our dignity," Bhattacharya, who is the chairman of Bengal Congress Coordination Committee and Rajya Sabha MP said.

There is no question of going back on the list of candidates for 11 seats in the state that Congress announced Monday night, he said adding the party will fight the coming Lok Sabha polls on its own in the state.

"As CPI(M) has decided not to contest elections in the four seats that we had won last time, we too have decided not to contest in five seats - Diamond Harbour, Bishnupur, Tamluk, Arambagh and Asansol in south Bengal. Now it is for the Left to take a call on the matter," he said.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front announced candidates for 13 more Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal on Tuesday taking the total number of its contestants to 38.

The LF, however, kept its door open for seat sharing talks with the Congress till Wednesday evening by not declaring nominees in four seats which the national party had won in 2014 general elections.

Reacting to LF's time limit till this evening, Bhattacharya said "We don't believe in such threats and ultimatum".

The Congress had on Monday night announced candidates for 11 seats in the state, including Raiganj and Murshidabad which the CPI(M) had won in 2014.