Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari mocks CPI(M)-TMC alliance over SIR, CEC row
Synopsis
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari used a public rally in West Midnapore to lampoon the CPI(M)-TMC alignment on electoral issues — calling it a 'Baby and Aunty' friendship — while threatening to reopen Left-era corruption files. It is a sharp early salvo in what looks like an aggressive BJP offensive against an opposition bloc that was fighting each other just months ago.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari ridiculed the CPI(M)-TMC convergence at a rally in Garbeta, West Midnapore on 31 October 2026 .
He targeted CPI(M) General Secretary M.A.
Baby and former CM Mamata Banerjee with a 'Baby and Aunty' jibe over their joint stand on SIR and removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar .
Adhikari recalled a convoy attack on Chandrakona Road, West Midnapore in January 2026 , months before the state Assembly elections.
The BJP government in Bengal will reportedly reopen Left Front-era corruption and oppression files in West Midnapore.
The CPI(M) and TMC, bitter rivals for over three decades in Bengal, have aligned nationally over electoral process disputes.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday, 31 October openly ridiculed the unlikely political convergence between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), targeting the two parties over their joint stand on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Adhikari delivered the remarks at a public event in Garbeta, West Midnapore district, one of the constituencies he fought hard to consolidate during his years as Leader of Opposition.
The 'Baby and Aunty' Jibe
Taking pointed aim at CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Adhikari deployed sharp political sarcasm. 'People from a particular group, who had earlier oppressed common people here, are now trying to change their clothes and wear red dress. Because today in Delhi, ‘Baby’ and ‘Aunty’ have become friends. A feeling of political bonding has developed between the two. That is why when there is development, there is unrest,' he said.
The reference is to what the Chief Minister characterised as an opportunistic national-level alignment between the CPI(M) and TMC — parties that were bitter adversaries in West Bengal for decades — now united by opposition to electoral processes backed by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Adhikari's Five-Year Fight in West Midnapore
Adhikari recalled his tenure as Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly from 2021 to 2026, during which he said he fought both the TMC and CPI(M) simultaneously in this district. He also referenced a convoy attack on Chandrakona Road in West Midnapore in January 2026, a few months before the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. 'I was returning from Purulia, when I was attacked on Chandrakona Road in West Midnapore. Then I sat in a demonstration on the road on this issue. I have not forgotten anyone,' he said.
The Chief Minister used the occasion to salute local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers who, he said, stood with him through that period of political struggle.
Files on Left Front-Era Corruption to Be Reopened
Adhikari made a pointed announcement that the current BJP government in West Bengal will revisit cases of alleged oppression and corruption from the years of Left Front rule in West Midnapore. 'The files relating to charges of corruption against the CPI-M leaders in the district will also be reopened,' he said, signalling that the administration intends to pursue accountability through formal legal and administrative channels.
This move, if implemented, would carry significant political weight in a district that was a Left stronghold for decades and is now a key battleground between the BJP and TMC.
Broader Political Context
The CPI(M)-TMC détente at the national level — however informal — marks a striking shift. The two parties spent over three decades in fierce and often violent opposition in West Bengal, with the Left Front governing the state from 1977 to 2011 before Mamata Banerjee's TMC swept to power. Their convergence on electoral issues, including criticism of the SIR process and calls for the CEC's removal, has drawn sharp reactions from the BJP, which sees the alignment as evidence of opposition desperation. Adhikari's remarks on Saturday are an early signal that the BJP intends to press this contradiction aggressively ahead of future electoral cycles in the state.
Point of View
Which rode anti-Left sentiment to displace TMC in large parts of rural Bengal, now governs a state where its own accountability record will shortly face scrutiny. Weaponising old files is a double-edged sword when voters eventually ask what the new government did with power.
NationPress
31 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Suvendu Adhikari mock the CPI(M)-TMC alliance?
Adhikari ridiculed the alignment because the two parties — longtime bitter rivals in West Bengal — have converged nationally over opposition to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He argued the partnership is opportunistic and contradicts their decades-long hostility in Bengal.
What is the 'Baby and Aunty' reference Adhikari made?
It is a satirical jab by Adhikari aimed at CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby and former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, mocking their newfound political understanding in Delhi. He used the phrase to suggest the alignment is superficial and driven by electoral convenience rather than shared ideology.
What happened at Chandrakona Road that Adhikari mentioned?
Adhikari's convoy was attacked on Chandrakona Road in West Midnapore in January 2026, a few months before the West Bengal Assembly elections. He recalled the incident at the Garbeta rally as evidence of the hostility he faced from both the TMC and CPI(M) during his tenure as Leader of Opposition.
What are the corruption files Adhikari said will be reopened?
Adhikari said the Bengal BJP government will reopen files related to alleged oppression of common people and corruption by CPI(M) leaders and workers in West Midnapore during the Left Front government. No specific cases or timelines were detailed at the rally.
What is the significance of the CPI(M)-TMC convergence on SIR and the CEC issue?
The special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the demand for the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar have become flashpoints between the ruling BJP and the broader opposition. The CPI(M) and TMC, despite their history of conflict in Bengal, have aligned on these issues at the national level — a development the BJP is using to question the opposition's credibility and ideological consistency.
