Cong, CPI fail to agree on seat sharing

Efforts to put together a Congress-led alliance to face the BJD-BJP coalition in the ensuing elections in Orissa has received a jolt.

Efforts to put together a Congress-led alliance to face the BJD-BJP coalition in the ensuing elections in Orissa received a jolt when talks between the Congress and CPI failed today.

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While the CPI announced the names of its candidates in five assembly seats, the Congress rejected the same saying the CPI move was unilateral.

''Now there is no agreement and we'll go ahead with our list of candidates,'' Congress sources said.

CPI state secretary Dutikrushna Panda told reporters here tonight that the party had decided to field candidates in the Kabisuryanagar, Chhatrapur, Malkangiri (SC), Bijepur and Kakatpur constituencies.