Seat-sharing talks between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party were tottering on the brink of collapse after the former upped the ante by declaring its first list of 24 candidates from Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha election. In addition to the nine seats that the Congress won in 2004, the party has decided to put up candidates in 15 other constituencies, some of which currently have Samajwadi MPs.

Prominent among those in the list released by Congress general secretary in charge of UP Digvijay Singh are Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli and Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in addition to Union minister of state Sriprakash Jaiswal, Mahavir Prasad, Jitin Prasada and five other sitting MPs.

The Congress has also decided to field Noor Bano from Rampur against SP lawmaker MP Jaya Prada.

Javed M Ansari/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication