Is it too early to choose an alliance partner in Bengal?

Kolkata, Sep 11 (NationPress) Senior Congress figure and Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha, K.C. Venugopal remarked on Thursday that the decision regarding an alliance partner in West Bengal rests with the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC).

After leading a meeting with the state Congress leadership, Venugopal informed the media that the ultimate call on alliances in Bengal will be made by the party's high command.

When asked if the state Congress would maintain its alliance with the CPI-M-led Left Front in West Bengal, the senior Congress figure stated: "These matters will be resolved within the Pradesh Congress Committee. Each state enjoys the autonomy to deliberate on alliances and political circumstances. They will evaluate the political landscape in the state and present their findings to the high command. At that juncture, the high command will make a decision."

He also emphasized that it is premature to engage in discussions about political alliances in various states.

"Currently, it is not the right moment to finalize alliances. The Congress party is championing ideology across India. We are advocating for the Constitution of India, and this struggle is prevalent here as well," he added.

The senior leader convened the meeting to expedite the activities of the WBPCC and its organizational framework.

Recently, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sanctioned the establishment of the Political Affairs Committee, Pradesh Election Committee, and Executive Committee for the WBPCC.

The party also designated officer bearers and district presidents for the state Congress unit. The formation of the political affairs committee and election committee, along with visits from central Congress leaders to the state, is significant in light of the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

This development unfolds amid uncertainty within the West Bengal Congress regarding its potential alliance or seat-sharing strategies for the 2026 Assembly elections, particularly as clear indications emerge that the party's central leadership—including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi—is gravitating closer to the Trinamool Congress.

The primary concern for state Congress leaders is whether the party will persist with its seat-sharing arrangement with the CPI(M)-led Left Front—ongoing since 2016—or transition to a new partnership with the Trinamool Congress for the 2026 polls.

Officially, the state Congress President in West Bengal, Subhankar Sarkar, has stated that whether at the national or state level, the final decision regarding alliances or seat-sharing agreements ultimately resides with the All India Congress Committee (AICC).