The Communist Party of India (CPI-M) would not enter into an alliance with the Congress in Odisha but would have limited seat-sharing with it.
This was stated by CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury to media here on Tuesday. The CPI(M), in fact, would not have electoral tie-up with any other party and go it alone everywhere in the country, he informed.
He said that in Odisha, the Congress would support the CPI(M)’s candidate in the Bonei Assembly constituency in Sundargarh district while the CPI(M) would back the Congress nominee in the Sudargarh Lok Sabha seat.
Notably, the CPI(M) has its lone MLA from Bonei in the present Assembly.
Meanwhile, the talks between the Congress State unit and the Communist Party of India (CPI) held here on Saturday last on seat-sharing for the forthcoming elections remained inconclusive.
The CPI asked the Congress to spare seven Assembly seats and the Aska Lok Sabha seat as part of seat adjustments.
Sources said the CPI demanded Chhatrapur, Boudh, Brajarajnagar, Ersama-Balikuda, Sundargarh, Chitrakonda and Junagarh Assembly seats and the Aska Lok Sabha seat
Later, CPI State secretary Dibakar Nayak said, “It has been tentatively decided that our party would get the Aska LS seat as part of seat-sharing. But the seat-sharing for the Assembly seats has not yet been finalised.”
Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said, “We had open discussion with our CPI friends today. Whatever discussed here would be put before the respective competent forums of the two parties. Then, the seat sharing would be finalised.”
Sources said a State CPI executive meeting would be held on Sunday and the Pradesh Congress Election Committee is scheduled to meet on March 6 and 7. The seat-sharing between the two parties is expected to be finalised after that.