The Congress on Wednesday decided to field candidates wherever the BJP contests next month's civic polls in West Bengal. This clearly does not represent any "direct electoral understanding" with the BJP. But with the Congress forging an "arrangement" with the Trinamul Congress, which, in turn, continues its alliance with the BJP, the Congress is getting into an "indirect" tie-up, adding upto an imperfect "Mahajot".

The Congress and the Trinamul have already divided up between them the seats they will contest. Congress sources say. adding that the Trinamul will fork out seats to the BJP out of its share. And to observe the secular decencies, the Congress will field candidates against the BJP.

This arrangement has emerged from a telephonic conversation West Bengal State unit chief A.B.A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury had with AICC general Secretary in charge of the state, Prabha Rao. Rao reported this at a meeting held here on (19 April, 2000) at Sonia Gandhi" residence ...(Souice: The Times of India, 20 April, 2000)