<p>The Congress and the Left parties on Monday decided that in the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, they will contest the seats they had won respectively in the 2016 polls.</p>.<p>The Left-Congress alliance in 2016 had won 77 seats, out of which the Congress had emerged victorious in 44.</p>.<p>"Today we have decided that we will keep the respective 44 and 33 seats that the Congress and the Left had won in 2016. On the remaining 217 seats, the talks are on, senior Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said at a joint press conference.</p>.<p>He expressed hope that the seat-sharing arrangement will be completed by the end of this month.</p>.<p>West Bengal Left Front Chairman and CPI(M) Politburo member Biman Bose, who was present at a meeting in which the decision was taken, said that discussions were also held on joint campaigning.</p>.<p>Elections to the 294-member state assembly are likely to be held in April- May this year.</p>
<p>The Congress and the Left parties on Monday decided that in the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, they will contest the seats they had won respectively in the 2016 polls.</p>.<p>The Left-Congress alliance in 2016 had won 77 seats, out of which the Congress had emerged victorious in 44.</p>.<p>"Today we have decided that we will keep the respective 44 and 33 seats that the Congress and the Left had won in 2016. On the remaining 217 seats, the talks are on, senior Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said at a joint press conference.</p>.<p>He expressed hope that the seat-sharing arrangement will be completed by the end of this month.</p>.<p>West Bengal Left Front Chairman and CPI(M) Politburo member Biman Bose, who was present at a meeting in which the decision was taken, said that discussions were also held on joint campaigning.</p>.<p>Elections to the 294-member state assembly are likely to be held in April- May this year.</p>