With Trinamool Congress ruling out an alliance, Congress faces an internal split over seat-sharing with the Left Front for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Kolkata: With the Trinamool Congress (TMC) making it clear that it will not ally with Congress for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the grand old party now faces a tough decision—whether to forge an alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Front or contest independently.
Congress Divided on Left Alliance
The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) appears divided on this issue. One section argues that alliances have historically weakened Congress in the state. They recall how TMC, after forming an alliance in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and 2011 Assembly polls, gradually poached Congress leaders and eroded the party’s strength. Similarly, the Congress-Left alliance, which began in 2016, is seen as having made the party overly reliant on seat-sharing rather than rebuilding its own base.
However, others within the party feel that given Congress’ current weak organisational presence in Bengal, contesting alone in 2026 would mean certain defeat. With Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee categorically rejecting a Congress-TMC alliance, they see the Left Front as the only viable partner for a seat-sharing arrangement.
Congress High Command’s Approach
Congress’ central leadership is refraining from imposing any decision on the state unit. Instead, it plans to assess the opinions of state leaders and grassroots workers before finalizing a strategy. A delegation from the All India Congress Committee (AICC), possibly led by national president Mallikarjun Kharge, is expected to visit West Bengal in June or July to evaluate the situation.
CPI(M)’s Stance on Alliances
Meanwhile, CPI(M) has its own reservations about electoral tie-ups. The party’s draft political resolution for its 24th Congress, scheduled in April in Madurai, emphasizes an independent political approach over electoral alliances. The resolution stresses rebuilding the party’s presence in Bengal and Tripura through grassroots mobilization, particularly among rural communities. It also highlights the need to challenge the BJP ideologically while opposing both the TMC and BJP in West Bengal.
Given these complexities, the fate of a Congress-Left alliance remains uncertain, making the 2026 Assembly elections a crucial test for both parties.
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