Polls: Mulayam meets Sonia, stalemate remains

The Congress and the Samajwadi party continued their search for an agreement on sharing of seats from Uttar Pradesh in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls at a meeting between their top leaders on Sunday, but the gap between Congress demand for 25 seats and SP's offer of 15 remained unbridged.

Samajwadi president Mulayam Singh Yadav accompanied by general secretary Amar Singh met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence after which indications were that the two sides which are keen to arrive at an agreement to checkmate UP chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati will continue their talks.

Neither side made any formal statement after the talks to break the deadlock but Amar Singh told reporters that his party cannot concede 25 seats to Congress, but is willing to give up to 17 seats.

"We will give 15 seats and maybe two more but not 25," Singh said.

The Congress continued to insist on 25 but indicated it may settle for fewer seats but certainly more than 17 on offer.

Singh also sought to milk the victory of his party in the Bhadoi by-elections in UP in refusing to concede more than 17 saying the Congress should understand ground realities. The Congress candidate came fifth and even forfeited his deposit.