Kolkata: Ending the long awaited speculation of the Left Front and Congress’ alliance in the upcoming Bengal Assembly election, the Bengal Congress on Thursday said that they will once again form an alliance with the Left Front to fight the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the assembly poll. West Bengal Congress president and leader of the opposition in Parliament Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the top leadership has given its approval to the alliance.
“Today, the Congress high command has formally approved the electoral alliance with the Left parties in the impending election of West Bengal,” said Chowdhury.
Chowdhury also added that this alliance is not just for the upcoming assembly elections but would continue for the future polls.
Asked about the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance and also about seat sharing between the two parties, the Congress leader stated that those decisions will be taken later.
“The central leaders have approved the alliance. Other details will be discussed in due time. Moreover, the Congress doesn’t need any supply of leaders from Delhi,” said Chowdhury slamming the BJP.
The history of the Left-Congress alliance in West Bengal is nothing new. Both the parties had also held an alliance in the 2016 assembly elections and also during 2019 parliamentary polls.
However, according to political observers, the upcoming poll is the fight between the TMC and the BJP. BJP who gradually emerged as the main opposition party in Bengal bagged 18 parliamentary seats from two seats in 2014.
In the 2016 assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress retained its majority in the legislative assembly by winning 211 seats, while in 2011 it won 184.
In the 2016 assembly polls, the BJP’s vote share was 10.2per cent and in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections it went up to 40.3 per cent pushing the alliance into distance third.
