After consecutive electoral defeats, Congress seeks to ally with TMC to challenge BJP’s dominance.
NEW DELHI: In the aftermath of consecutive defeats in the recently concluded elections, the Congress party has seen its political standing weaken further. To reclaim its lost ground and regain influence, the party is now exploring the possibility of forming an alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. This potential partnership is aimed at countering the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for next year.
A source within the Congress party revealed that the party is actively considering an electoral alliance with TMC for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. To facilitate this potential partnership, Congress has started taking a more conciliatory approach towards TMC, scaling back its criticism and making key internal strategic changes.
One of the most notable and significant moves in this direction was the removal of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from the post of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president. Chowdhury, known for his outspoken and aggressive stance against TMC, had frequently criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led government over alleged corruption and misgovernance. His strong opposition to TMC often placed the Congress party in direct conflict with the ruling party, making any alliance difficult. By replacing him with leaders who are more inclined towards fostering ties with TMC rather than maintaining an alliance with the Left Front, Congress has signalled a clear shift in strategy.
Since Chowdhury’s exit, Congress has noticeably toned down its criticism of TMC. Unlike in the past, when the party frequently targeted the ruling party in West Bengal, it has now refrained from making any negative
However, despite Congress’s efforts, TMC, under the leadership of Banerjee, appears reluctant to accommodate the party in West Bengal. This hesitation is largely attributed to Congress’s handling of its relationship with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. During the Delhi Assembly elections, Congress refused to support AAP, choosing instead to contest independently. As a result, the anti-BJP vote was split between the two parties, ultimately benefiting the BJP, which secured victory. This episode has fuelled TMC’s skepticism about Congress’s reliability as an ally, making Banerjee wary of offering Congress any political space in the state. Instead, she prefers to maintain TMC’s independent stance rather than collaborate with a party she perceives as unpredictable.
Previously, Banerjee had made it explicitly clear that her party would contest the 2026 Assembly elections independently. Her firm stance indicates that TMC, despite being a key player in the I.N.D.I.A bloc, is unwilling to form a tie-up with Congress in West Bengal.
A political analyst closely monitoring Bengal politics told The Sunday Guardian that Congress’s decision to replace Chowdhury with Subhankar Sarkar as the Bengal unit president was a strategic attempt to mend relations with the Banerjee-led party. Sarkar, unlike his predecessor, is known for adopting a softer approach towards TMC. However, this leadership change has so far failed to yield the desired results, as TMC remains unwilling to offer Congress any political space in the upcoming elections. Despite this, Congress remains optimistic about securing an alliance with TMC for the 2026 elections.