Friday, March 17 2006 17:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Even as seat-sharing talks are on between BJP and Trinamool Congress for the coming Assembly election in West Bengal, the saffron party today (Mar 17 2006) released the names of 14 candidates for the polls.

The Trinamool Congress had earlier announced 201 candidates for the total 293 seats at stake.

The list of BJP candidates cleared by the party Central Election Committee chaired by party President Rajnath Singh included three SCs, four STs, one woman and one from the minority community, senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu told sources here.

He said the party's election in charge for the West Bengal Assembly polls Arun jaitley was in touch with Trinamool leader Mamata Bannarjee.

BJP state unit president Tathagata Roy was also in the capital in connection with the talks, he said.

The Central Election Committee also cleared the names of 55 candidates for the second phase of the Assembly elections in Assam as also six remaining candidates for the first phase.

The saffron party, which is contesting the polls on its own in Assam, has declared candidates for 120 out of the 126 seats at stake, including seven SCs, 12 STs, 14 women, 10 Muslims and nine from the tea garden community.

The party will shortly announce candidates for the six remaining seats.