Wednesday, March 22 2006 15:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Failing to clinch an alliance with Trinamool Congress for assembly elections in West Bengal, Congress has finalised the names of its candidates for the first two phases of the five-phase poll scheduled to be held on April 17 and 22.

"Candidates for the first two phases of the election havebeen finalised and their names will be announced today," WBPCC working president Pradip Bhattacharya told sources from Delhi. "The names of the remaining party candidates would be declared later," he said.

To a question, Bhattacharya said that of the total 294 seats in the state assembly, Congress was likely to field candidates in 257 constituencies leaving 37 seats for its electoral allies.

He said that Congress would contest the ensuing poll in alliance with Lok Janashakti party of Ram Vilas Paswan, UCPI, Party for Democratic Socialism, Janabadi Forward Bloc,Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Jharkhand Party (Naren).

Despite TC chief Mamata Banerjee's call to form a grand alliance against the CPI-M in the ensuing election, Congresshad made it clear that the party could not be a part of an alliance in which BJP was a partner.

The party, on the other hand, offered the TC supremo to lead a progressive, secular alliance against the ruling Left Front in the election.

TC had already announced names of 193 party candidates which included renominating 52 sitting legislators. Allocating eight seats to the smaller partners of the party-led 'Gana Front', TC was yet to announce names for 93 seats.