New Delhi, 5 Feb

The Congress announced on Thursday that it will go solo in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls and contest all the 294 seats in the State.

The decision was taken at a key meeting of the party's top brass with senior leaders of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC).

The meeting, held at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's10, Rajaji Marg residence here, was attended by Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, state in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir, state unit chief Subhankar Sarkar, senior leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and MP Isha Khan Choudhury, among others. Some leaders also joined the meeting virtually.

Talking to reporters, Mir said the meeting featured important strategic discussions related to the West Bengal election, likely to be held in April-May.

"After discussions with everyone, it has been decided that the Congress will contest all 294 seats independently in West Bengal. We will make preparations keeping this in mind," he said.

Mir said forming an alliance in the State in the past had demoralised Congress workers at the grassroots level.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls, the Congress had formed an alliance with the Left Front and failed to win a single seat.