Tensions Rise Over Possible Congress-Left Front Alliance for 2026 West Bengal Elections
There’s growing uncertainty about whether the Congress and Left Front will team up for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The main issue? Disagreements among the Left allies over how to divide seats.
Recently, leaders from different Left Front parties held a meeting to discuss the possibility of sharing seats with Congress. However, two key allies — the All India Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) — expressed strong reservations about any seat-sharing deal.
During the meeting, an insider revealed that the Forward Bloc is demanding 34 seats, the same number they contested back in 1977 when the Left Front first came to power in Bengal. They want to contest that many again in 2026. Similarly, the RSP has asked for 23 seats.
On the other hand, the Communist Party of India (CPI), another Left ally, took a more neutral stance. Their representative said they are open to a seat-sharing arrangement with Congress but want to ensure they don’t get fewer seats than the CPI(M) — the biggest Left party — or more than the other allies like Forward Bloc and RSP.
West Bengal’s Legislative Assembly has a total of 294 seats. The exact agreement on seat-sharing is still unclear, as leaders are continuing discussions. CPI(M)’s senior leader Biman Bose mentioned that it will take more talks before any final decision is made.
Interestingly, the West Bengal Congress unit seems less interested in forming an alliance with the Left Front for 2026. Party President Suvankar Sarkar said most Congress workers want the party to contest alone next year, though the final call rests with the national leadership.
This isn’t the first time Congress and the Left Front teamed up in Bengal. They joined hands for the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections, as well as the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, they did not share seats.
As discussions continue, political analysts watch closely to see if an alliance will happen or if parties will go their separate ways ahead of the crucial 2026 elections.
