GOP in difficulty after poll schedule

NEW DELHI: The Congress is caught in its web af ter the Election Commission on Friday announced the Assembly dates in 4 states and the Union Territory of Puducherry since it has not yet firmed up the division of the seats despite entering into the alliance deals early this month. Except for constituting various committees for the elections, the Congress has not identified the seats in any state on which it wants to contest as part of the alliances. A senior party leader said the Congress has repeated the same old mistake of delaying the seat distribution with the allies that should have been completed by now. Even worse, the Congress is yet to start talks with its allies it identified to take on the BJP in forthcoming elections, the party leader said, adding, the Grand Old Party (GOP) will have to decide the seats and finalise the candidates in a haste. He said the Congress has not yet held any discussions with the parties it wants to go to the polls on the poll issues and the minimum joint programme. The party leadership always announces the party’s manifesto and candidates 2 months ahead of the polls, but it keeps the prospective candidates in suspense by never doing so and thus not helping them start nursing the constituencies early.