Congress-CPM tie-up again. But will it work in Bengal local polls?

Battling the BJP and AITC

Ashok Bhattacharya, a CPI(M) leader from Darjeeling district, said, “With the rise of Hindutva forces, communalism and religious polarisation, the alliance between CPI(M) and Congress might be beneficial as both the parties are opposing the ruling AITC government for their secret understanding with the BJP.”

The alliance has two main issues at hand that need to be tackled: large scale defections of party workers to the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and the rise of the BJP in West Bengal – the party just recently became the principal Opposition in the state.

On 18 April, Congress councilor Sandip Biswas and 10 other councilors of the Congress joined the AITC camp.

Deepa Dasmunsi, Congress leader and general secretary of Pradesh Congress Committee said, “AITC is trying to poach our leaders by threatening them and we have already convened a meeting at Raigunj to stem erosion in the party camp and party’s vote bank.”

The state leadership of the CPI(M) has also yet to communicate the existence of the alliance to the central leadership. This is a touchy topic, because after the alliance failed during the 2016 elections, a section of CPI(M) party’s hardliner members felt that the alliance was a wrong decision as it was a deviation from their tactical line.

During the election, the alliance failed miserably in the state with the Left Front bagging 33 out of 294 Assembly seats. The All India Trinamool Congress won 211 seats.

Despite that, some party members feel the alliance will benefit in the long term considering CPI(M)’s weak organisational strength in various districts.

On 23 April, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury is scheduled to hold meetings with the party workers at Kurseong in the hills.