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[aryan]

NEW DELHI: The Congress alliance trouble with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal is expected to settle on Monday with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's deadline to the party coming to an end.

But even as the Congress faces the threat of another standoff with an ally, Mamata Banerjee went ahead and unilaterally announced candidates for contesting in 228 seats.

Sources have told Times Now that the Congress Central Election Committee is expected to meet at 5pm at party president Sonia Gandhi's residence in New Delhi. Sources added that the decision over the issue of seat-sharing is expected to be taken by the Congress president at 10 Janpath today.

All eyes will now be on the Congress to see if the party gives in to the feisty railway minister.

Party sources said that a large number of state leaders feel that the Congress should call the Trinamool Congress' "bluff" and should not accept the offer of the 64 seats made by Mamata Banerjee.

Sources in the party said although party chief Sonia Gandhi has been strongly supporting the continuation of the alliance, the sudden announcement of seats by Banerjee had not gone down well with the Congress leadership.

Trinamool Congress on Friday unilaterally announced its list of 228 candidates for the election to 294-member West Bengal Assembly and set a Monday deadline for Congress to accept the 64 seats allotted to it.

Banerjee had said, "We will be happy if Congress fields its candidates in 64 constituencies after seat
adjustment. Else, we will announce our candidates in those seats by Monday."