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BJP bows down to Mamata on Calcutta poll

The Trinamul Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party today reached an understanding on sharing seats for the election to the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.

Announcing this in New Delhi, Railway Minister and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said the BJP would contest 23 seats.

The BJP was earlier offered 19 seats, but the party, dissatisfied, unilaterally declared that it would contest 45 seats.

Now the BJP has agreed to put up 23 candidates for the election as an ally of the Trinamul Congress.

State BJP leaders have reportedly been advised to avoid any clash with the Trinamul Congress on this matter.

A beaming Banerjee said, "I am grateful to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for the understanding reached at his behest."

She said the Trinamul Congress would be contesting 109 of the 141 seats in the corporation. It will put up more than 50 women while 20 seats have been allotted to the minorities.

The remaining 10 seats have been left to "anti-CPI-M candidates". They include former CPI-M corporators and politicians who are popular among the local people.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT: BJP, dissent threat to spoil Trinamul's party

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