New Delhi: Yes congress Is the decision to go it alone in West Bengal a bold political move considering the long-term interests of the party? Or is the move fraught with political risk in a state where the great old party has been virtually wiped out? The Congress party, facing an existential crisis in the state, has broken its alliance with the Left and declared to win all 294 seats alone in the upcoming assembly elections. Now, consider the following facts:
In both elections, the Congress aligned with the Left against a common enemy – the ruling Trinamool Congress and its leaders. Mamata Banerjee. The Congress party’s electoral strategy and political campaign centered on a very strong anti-Mamata theme, led by the then party president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a staunch and outspoken critic of the Trinamool chairman.
Interestingly, when the Congress and the Left fired hard at Mamata, the ruthless bjp Make progress and occupy your opponent’s space. The story of the 2021 Assembly elections in West Bengal is the rise of the BJP as the main opposition party and the simultaneous crushing defeat of the Congress and the Left in state politics.Therefore, while the Congress party’s vote share in the Assembly fell from 44 votes in 2016 to 0 votes in 2021, the BJP’s score increased from 3 votes in 2016 to 77 votes in 2021. In terms of vote share, the pattern is even more worrying. The Congress party’s support fell from 12.25% to 3.03%, while the BJP’s support jumped from 10.16% to 37.97%.The Congress’s decision to contest alone may signal the party’s determination to embark on a long and difficult road to revival, but it may overlook the stark reality of the party’s waning presence and influence in West Bengal. Has the party had enough time to make its presence felt among voters? All the more so when its main rivals – the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party – have made strides in wooing voters.Mamata goes all out to win fourth termMamata Banerjee and her Trinamool have launched an all-out offensive against the Election Commission…from the streets of Kolkata to the Supreme Court in the national capital. Mamata also announced many welfare-driven measures in the interim budget to set the electoral narrative ahead of the high-stakes polls.Some important announcements include:
BJP in overdrive The BJP is also in overdrive as it once again attempts to wrest power from the Trinamool Congress. Top BJP leaders in Bengal and Delhi have been mercilessly attacking Mamata Banerjee, linking almost every incident in the state to the Trinamool government’s failure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have addressed many political rallies in the voting state. BJP president Nitin Nabin has been holding meetings with all stakeholders to motivate the party cadre.Here are some of the key initiatives the BJP has taken:
Congress acts in absentia Unfortunately, amidst all this political hubbub, Congress has so far failed to act. After the debacle in the past elections, the Congress leadership appears to have taken few practical steps beyond a leadership change in the state. In September 2024, Shubhankar Sarkar succeeded Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as the Congress Party president in West Bengal. Since Adil is a staunch critic of Mamata Banerjee and the biggest obstacle to an alliance with the Trinamool, the change of guard was interpreted as a change in the party’s attitude towards the Trinamool chief. However, once it became clear that Mamata was not interested in any cooperation, the Congress had no choice but to go it alone in the assembly polls. Given the Congress’ stake in Kerala, where the CPM-led LDF is its main rival, continuing in alliance with the Left is not an option.After taking office, Shubhankar Sarkar said that the 2026 parliamentary elections and strengthening the organization are his two current tasks. However, with the 2026 election battle just months away, he appears far removed from achieving any of those goals. Is “going solo” the best way forward?Over the years, the Congress party has lost political prominence to regional parties in states. Many regional parties have grown in states at the expense of Congress. Any attempt by the big party to regain political space will be met with resistance from these national parties, leading to friction. This contradiction has been at the heart of the Congress’ troubled alliance with regional parties. It is against this backdrop that the party’s decision to go it alone in West Bengal should be analyzed. The Congress party, which has been silent in the state assembly for the past five years, has nothing to lose. If the leadership can inspire party cadres to start fresh on the ground, Bengal could become a template for the Congress in other states facing similar challenges. One wonders what is stopping the Congress leadership from adopting this course correction after the debacle in the 2021 elections and even in the Lok Sabha in 2024. Well, better late than never!
NEW DELHI: Data centers have become a new target, with Iran launching attacks on three such facilities in what is…
The much-anticipated primaries for the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are underway across the state. Texas The 2026 midterm…
NEW DELHI: After going through all three levels of the justice system and more than 40 years later, a smuggling…
Four days after the crisis began, Donald Trump's administration sent the message Tuesday that it is aggressively working to rescue…
Todd Meadows is known for his work as a cast member on Discovery Channel deadliest catch Died at the age…
New Delhi: Special NIA court to hear Pahalgam case terrorist attack The Jammu case has issued a letter of attorney…