West Bengal State Congress Chief Soman Mitra has met the Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and discussed various organisational issues, including the upcoming assembly by-polls in the state.

Sonia Gandhi has given her nod to Congress-Left Front alliance in West Bengal for the upcoming assembly by-polls, following the party’s dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

According to Congress sources, Sonia Gandhi’s go-ahead to the Congress-Left alliance is politically significant, given TMC’s recent call for uniting of all opposition forces in Bengal in a bid to stop the march of BJP in the state.

The state leadership of the two parties have decided that Congress will contest the Kaliaganj seat in North Dinajpur district and Kharagpur in West Midnapore district, while the CPI(M) led Left Front will contest the Karimpur seat in Nadia district.