" Both parties should accept this in principle," Mukherjee, the External Affairs minister, told the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj North Bengal Convention here.
Mukherjee's comment came as the state Congress leadership demanded that the party high command should take up with Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee that seats offered to the party, except for the six it holds, were not winnable ones and were in CPI(M) strongholds.
Banerjee had claimed on March 5 that as per the formula arrived during talks with Mukherjee, of the 42 LS seats, the Trinamool would contest 28 and the Congress 14.
"The talks on the alliance between the two parties are continuing and the ultimate decision would be taken by the party high command," said Mukherjee. He had conveyed to the high command the details about the talks and a decision was expected shortly, he said.
On the total number of seats that the Congress would contest, he said of the 543 LS seats, the party would contest most. The party would not form an alliance at the national level, but have understanding at state level with other political parties, he added.
About the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling hills by the Gorkha Ganmukti Morcha, he said there was no question of a further division of West Bengal. The issue, he said, should be resolved through talks.
