WB: Cong-Left to retain seats won in 2016; seat-sharing to be concluded by Jan 31

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 25 (ANI): Months before the West Bengal Assembly polls, Congress and the Left Front alliance on Monday announced here that they will stay on the seats which they had won in the 2016 Assembly Election while the sharing of the rest 217 seats will be concluded by January 31.

Addressing the media, West Bengal state Congress Committee president Pradip Bhattacharya said, "For now, we agree on the principle that the 77 seats that won by Congress and the Left parties in 2016 Assembly elections will be in same status quo. Right now it's not possible to talk about the exact numbers. The sharing of the rest 217 seats will be concluded by January 31."

In the press conference, it was also announced that Congress and the Left parties will hold a mega joint rally at Brigade in Kolkata at the end of February. 

Slamming the political opponents, Bhattacharya said, "Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) are indulged in a bullfight and dirty word exchanges. Bengal cannot be handed over to them." 

Discussing further programmes of the alliance, Chairman of the Left Front Biman Bose said, "On Republic Day tomorrow, the Left parties and Congress will hold processions in all districts in solidarity with the farmers' agitation in Delhi. On January 30, we will march to Gandhi Ashram in Beliaghata from Entally to mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi."

In the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections, out of the 294 seats, Congress had managed to win 44 seats while the Left Front bagged 33 seats. The ruling TMC secured 211 seats and BJP had won 3 seats. 

Elections for 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal are slated to take place this year. (ANI)