Kolkata, Feb 5 : In a significant move, the Congress on Monday gave full authority to the party's West Bengal President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury about the finalization of the candidates and chalk out the campaign strategy for the state for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress central leadership announced formation of the 28-member West Bengal Pradesh Congress Election Committee, with Chowdhury as its Chairman.

Political observers feel that this development is significant on two counts.

The first is that the Congress high command too has exhausted its last hope for an amicable seat sharing agreement with Trinamool Congress and hence given full authority to Chowdhury in the matter.

Secondly, the responsibility to Chowdhury will expedite the process of finalising seat-sharing talks with the CPI-M-led Left Front which he is already keen on.

Observers also said that besides Chowdhury, the majority in the 28-member election committee are from those who are strongly against any kind of alliance with Trinamool in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"The committee constitution is a clear endorsement from the Congress high command to the views of Chowdhury and his followers that for the party, the BJP and the Trinamool Congress are equal enemies in the West Bengal perspective," a city-based political observer said.

/IANS