Congress, Samajwadi differ on seat sharing

The second round of talks between the Congress and the SP ended in New Delhi with no agreement on an electoral tie up in UP although both parties are keen on it.

The second round of talks between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party ended in New Delhi on Monday with no agreement on an electoral tie up in Uttar Pradesh although both parties are keen on it.

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A three-member Congress delegation led by general secretary Rahul Gandhi held discussions with Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh in preparation for the coming Lok Sabha polls.

"No final decision has been taken. Although discussion on 90 per cent of the seats is over, a consensus has to be reached over the rest," Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters.

The Samajwadi Party is adamantly refusing to concede to the Congress seats it won in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

Reiterating the idea of "friendly fights" in a few seats, Digvijay Singh, who is in charge of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, said, "Friendly fights can take place on 10 per cent of the seats (if) no consensus is reached."