Kolkata, September 4 (Daily Kiran) : The Communist Party of India (Marxist), a key player in the Left Front, is gearing up for the upcoming municipal elections in West Bengal. Scheduled for later this year, these elections will involve selecting candidates for municipal corporations and other urban bodies.
In a strategic shift, the state leadership has decided to delegate the task of determining seat-sharing arrangements among current allies to district committees instead of the state committee. Additionally, the selection of candidates for local body elections will also be managed by these district committees, minimizing interference from the state leadership.
However, a member of the central committee indicated that if a district committee feels the need to form an alliance with a political group outside the Left Front, such a decision would require approval from the state committee.
The central committee leader stressed that both the central and state leadership firmly oppose any collaboration with the three factions of the Trinamool Congress. These factions include one led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, another group led by expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, and a third consisting of 20 Lok Sabha members who have joined the nearly defunct NCP.
The central committee member stated, “We have already received indications of potential seat-sharing agreements at the district level with some of these factions. However, our response is a clear ‘no.’ Our current objective is to regain the status of the main opposition party in West Bengal, and the upcoming municipal elections present the best opportunity to start this process. We will not enter into any agreements with forces that have been completely rejected by the people of the state and have lost their credibility due to internal conflicts.”
Additionally, a member from the state secretariat noted that the chances of any alliance with the Congress party are nearly nonexistent. This member explained, “Before the 2026 assembly elections, the Congress leadership unilaterally announced the dissolution of the previous electoral alliance with the Left Front. Therefore, there is no likelihood of reinstating that alliance for the upcoming municipal elections. It is better for us to contest the elections independently as the Left Front to understand our position.”
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