Kolkata:
Mamata Banerjee's deadline to the Congress to release its list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal ends today.
On Friday, the Trinamool chief had unilaterally announced candidates for 228 constituencies, leaving ally Congress with 64 and another two for the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI).
"We will be happy if Congress fields its candidates in 64 seats by Monday. Else, we will put our own candidates there including those from the minority community," Mamata Banerjee had said in a veiled warning to Congress.
Sources say Congress leaders in Delhi will meet Sonia Gandhi today with a list of 90 candidates for Bengal polls. She will take a final call on whether the Congress will fight 64 or 90 or all seats.
The state goes to the polls in six phases starting April 18. The last date for announcement of candidates is March 31. The Congress has said it will come up with its list before that, but Mamata's contention is that they are losing precious time as the Left has already begun campaigning for the polls.
Speaking to NDTV on Saturday, Congress' Shakeel Ahmed had said the party does not agree with Mamata's list and that it will take a final call on her offer after Holi.
"We wanted an alliance with Trinamool Congress in West Bengal...we still want an alliance with them to defeat the Left government in the state... this is the will of the people of West Bengal that there should be an alliance between Congress and Trinamool Congress," he said.
"She announced the list unilaterally leaving 64 seats for us...we are not in agreement with the list announced. The Congress leadership will take a final call after Holi...we will consider her offer and take a final decision," he added.