BJP central leadership to decide on party's poll alliance

Kolkata, Mar 15 (UNI) The future of the much-talked-about electoral alliance between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal hangs in balance with the former's dipleased by the meagre allocation to it.

The list, announced ''unilaterally'' on Monday last by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, had left 23 seats to the BJP causing severe discontent among the state party leadership with a section having already demanded immediate snapping of ties with the AITC.

To discuss the issue further, the BJP state executive body met at an emergency meeting here last night and after failing to arrive at any unanimous decision, ultimately left the matter to the party's central leadership to decide latest by March 18.

State BJP general secretary Rahul Sinha told UNI here today that following over four hours of discussions on the future of their alliance with the Trinamool Congress in the wake of the present situation, the state Executive had decided to refer the matter to the party's central leadership.

'' The issue is now entirely with the BJP central leadership and we will abide by their decision, whatever it may be, '' said Mr Sinha.

Incidentally, despite the state BJP's climbing down from its earlier demand for 74 seats to 35 only and then to 14 and ultimately to eight ''preferred'' seats in North 24 Parganas, Purulia, Bankura and Burwan districts, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had left 23 ''useless'' seats to the party, he said.

Claiming that the party had no or very little prospects in any of those 23 seats, BJP state president Tathagata Roy and Mr Sinha had expressed strong reservations and reiterated their demand for those eight preferred constituencies, where the BJP had strong vote banks.

The state party leadership also resented the fact that Ms Banerjee had announced the candidate's list ''unilaterally'' and in the midst of a continuous parleys with BJP All India general secretary and central observer for the state Arun Jaitley.

'' We fail to understand the rationale behind such a decision, '' both Mr Roy and Mr Sinha said.

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