Congress-Left Alliance To Continue For West Bengal Assembly Polls

Kolkata: Not unexpectedly, Congress and Left Front announced on Thursday they will once again join hands to fight the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the upcoming West Bengal assembly election.

West Bengal Congress president and leader of Opposition in Parliament Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the top leadership has approved the alliance.

“Today the Congress high command has formally approved the electoral alliance with the Left parties for the ensuing election of West Bengal,” said Chowdhury.

He added that the alliance between Congress and the Left is not just for the assembly polls due in April-May, but will continue after that as well.

Asked about the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance and seat sharing between the two parties, Chowdhury said those decisions will be taken later.

“The central leaders have approved the alliance. Other details will be discussed in due course. Moreover the Congress doesn’t need any supply of leaders from Delhi,” Chowdhury said, hitting out at the BJP.

The CPI(M) leadership had given its approval for the alliance in October itself and urged other ‘secular parties’ to join them to beat the TMC and BJP, who according to Congress and Left are both ‘communal’ parties.

Chowdhury reiterated that TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is instrumental in BJP getting a foothold in Bengal.

“During 1999 parliamentary election, the Congress had warned Mamata Banerjee for supporting the saffron camp. Banerjee is instrumental in letting BJP get a toehold in West Bengal. She had helped the BJP increase its might in Bengal,” remarked Chowdhury.

The Left and Congress were in alliance during the 2016 assembly election as well as the 2019 parliamentary polls.

In 2016, the Alliance won 76 seats – Congress 44 and the Left 32 – in the 294-strong assembly. In the 2019 general elections, the Left drew a blank while Congress managed 2 seats.