Kolkata, Jan 11 (NationPress) The Chairperson of the Congress Screening Committee for West Bengal, B.K. Hariprasad, announced that the committee's inaugural meeting took place on Sunday. He indicated that the party's leadership will soon convene with the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) to finalize strategies for the upcoming Assembly elections.

In an interview with IANS, Hariprasad noted, "This marked our first meeting to outline our next steps. We will collaborate with Bengal's in-charge and state president prior to our visit to Bengal to finalize the proceedings."

On January 4, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) appointed B.K. Hariprasad as the chairperson of the West Bengal screening committee in preparation for the Assembly elections.

This was the committee's first gathering since its formation.

When queried about the number of constituencies the party intends to contest and potential alliance partners, Hariprasad mentioned, "All decisions will be managed by Gulam Mir, the in-charge secretary, and we will take subsequent actions based on his guidance."

In the 2021 Bengal Assembly elections, Congress formed an alliance with the Left Front and the Indian Secular Front (ISF), but unfortunately did not secure any seats in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly. Following this electoral setback, Congress and the Left Front opted to part ways and will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections separately.

There have been no substantial discussions with Left Front leaders regarding a possible electoral alliance for the forthcoming Assembly elections. The WBPCC is currently waiting for directives from the party's higher management before initiating formal negotiations with any political entities.

It's noteworthy that on January 7, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge appointed party leaders as AICC Senior Observers for the upcoming Assembly elections in critical states, including Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal. For West Bengal, Sudip Roy Barman, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, and Prakash Joshi have been designated as senior observers.

The selection of senior leaders for these elections is pivotal, as the party aims to reclaim its lost influence from previous contests. Following a disappointing performance in the Bihar Assembly elections, the party is striving for electoral success in the forthcoming elections.

Additionally, in response to remarks made by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Hariprasad remarked, "For 500 or even 700 years, Mughal rule existed, and for 200 years, the British ruled, yet Hindus were never in danger. Since the establishment of the RSS, Hindus have been made to feel they are in danger."