Kolkata, 16 August (H.S.) — With the West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled for next year, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has expressed interest in a seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress, but made it clear that the initiative must come from the Congress. CPI(M) state secretary and Politburo member Mohammad Salim stated unambiguously that it is up to the Congress to decide whether it wants to continue its electoral understanding with the Left Front.

A senior member of the CPI(M) central committee recalled that in June 2025, during the bypoll for the Kaliaganj Assembly seat in Nadia district, the Congress had sought support from the Left Front, leading the Front to refrain from fielding a candidate there. “Several leaders of the state Congress unit have been indicating that they wish to continue the understanding seen during the 2021 Assembly polls, the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and the 2025 Kaliaganj bypoll. Now it is for them to decide what they want to do in 2026. We cannot take decisions on behalf of Congress,” he said.

The West Bengal Congress, however, has yet to announce its official stance. State Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar clarified that any alliance or seat-sharing decision would be taken by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). “We have not received any directive from the AICC on this matter. Whatever decision the AICC takes will be final,” he stated.

The CPI(M)’s position is in line with the political resolution adopted at its 24th Party Congress held in Madurai in April 2025, which emphasized maintaining an independent political line. As a result, the Bengal unit of CPI(M) is unwilling to initiate talks on its own and expects Congress to make the first move.

The electoral understanding between the Congress and the Left Front dates back to the 2016 Assembly elections. However, the two parties did not enter into a seat-sharing arrangement during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh