The session was dominated by the issue of seat-sharing with ally Trinamool for the 2011 Assembly elections with a majority of the leaders making it clear that the party should not buckle under the Trinamool’s pressure.

As a majority of the leaders urged the leadership to refrain from repeating the mistakes of the Lok Sabha, state Congress chief Pranab Mukherjee assured them that the party will bargain for more seats. He, however, refused to comment on the matter and maintained that the alliance with the Trinamool would continue.

The Congress leaders said they were ready to accept Mamata Banerjee as the chief minister but due power and prestige should be accorded to their party as well.

“In the Lok Sabha elections, we made a lot of sacrifice. But in the upcoming Assembly elections we have to make sure that our prestige is saved,” said Deepa Dasmunsi, Congress MP from Raigunj and wife of ailing Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, amid applause from the delegates.

“The Congress can sacrifice but not commit suicide. One should draw a line to the extent we can give in to them (Trinamool). The Trinamool has become our prime enemy now and is breaking away the Congress,” she added.

She alleged that Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee was eroding the Congress by wooing away party workers with the promise of jobs in the railways. “And slowly the Congress will be at the brink of extinction,” she added.

During the meeting, Adhir Choudhury, MP from Murshidabad, hailed Pranab Mukherjee as the “most suitable person to become chief minister” but added that he was ready to accept Mamata Banerjee in that post because of the alliance.

“However, we must know what will be our share in this Assembly election. It should not be at the last moment. We should know now so that we can prepare ourselves,” Choudhury added.

Stating that the Congress had a political compulsion to form the government at the Centre ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he said: “Now, we have no such compulsions. Let’s make it clear what we will get. The onus is on Trinamool Congress.”

Another Congress leader demanded that in the upcoming Assembly polls, Congress should contest all the 12 seats in Malda. “We are strong there and we will sweep the polls,” the leader added.

Pranab Mukherjee, who spoke last, tried to calm the leaders and said the Congress will bargain for more seats and added every one should try to strengthen the base of the party in the state.

“It is true that Trinamool Congress is breaking our party. But we must introspect and stop this. One must understand that Congress is a national party and the alliance is a political compulsion. We must be tactful and we need to get more seats,” said Mukherjee.

Mukherjee said in the last Assembly elections, Congress made a sacrifice and fielded candidates in only 59 of the total 294 seats. “We could not give tickets to our 14 sittings MLAs and as a result six others joined Trinamool and contested on their tickets,” Mukherjee added.

Later, Mukherjee announced the Krishnagar Declaration, which stressed on reorganising the party at the grassroots level.

The three-page Declaration stated that to prevent the BJP and the CPM from coming to the power, the alliance with Trinamool Congress will continue in the state.

It also highlighted various steps the Congress will take in future with regards to the party’s economic, organisational and political stand in the state. Stress was laid on bringing in fresh faces in the organisation, more aggressive agitations and implementation of pro-people projects undertaken by the UPA.