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The inability of the Congress-Trinamul combine to settle differences for 18 of 294 assembly seats in West Bengal Tuesday elicited a defensive reaction from the former, with party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy contending that "we have full faith in Mamata Banerjee".
"No, I don't agree that Pranabda (West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Pranab Mukherjee) is unhappy (with the Congress-Trinamul alliance). I agree that we have some problems in 18 seats, but they will soon be sorted out," Reddy told reporters at the All-India Congress Committee headquarters.
The Congress spokesman disagreed with reports that the Trinamul is still maintaining links with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, underscoring that "we are happy that the Congress and the Trinamul Congress have come together. She (Mamata) has severed all connections with the BJP. I rule out any such possibility."
He asserted that his party's seat-sharing arrangement with the Trinamul in the state was still "being sorted out".
"Individual (Congress) leaders might be unhappy but the PCC chief is fully behind our high command on our party's alliance with the Trinamul," Reddy said.
However, reports percolating from Calcutta indicated that Mamata had toughened her party's stance that given her party's prominence in the state, she disfavoured friendly contests with the Congress in disputed seats.
"Even though Mamatadi might put it diplomatically to the Congress leaders, including Kamal Nath, she has minced no words in conveying to them that she has made all concessions to their party in the given circumstances. She has told them that they better take it or leave it," said a Trinamul source.
Mamata's tough stance has put the Congress in an awkward spot, as party chief Sonia Gandhi wants the Congress-Trinamul alliance to deliver the goods at the expense of the BJP at any cost.
Congress sources here indicated that Sonia was in touch with party leaders in Calcutta so that she may be apprised of the latest political developments, especially those pertaining to her party's alliance with the Trinamul.
Referring to the Congress alliance in Pondicherry, the Congress spokesman pointed out that "our political reservations about the Patalli Makkal Katchi continues and the situation in Pondicherry is qualitatively different from that in Tamil Nadu."
He asserted that "there is no question of sharing power with the PMK in Pondicherry because we are the ruling party there".
He also emphasised that "the Congress will not agree to the PMK's seeking the chief ministership in Pondicherry" and that AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha had made it clear right from the outset that "the (electoral) arrangement in Tamil Nadu will be different from the electoral arrangement in Pondicherry."
Referring to Assam and reports of the BJP-Asom Gana Parishad alliance in the state, Reddy pointed out that "the Congress can win on its own in Assam. We are set to sweep the elections."
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