Congress to contest all 294 seats solo in Bengal; Left Front unfazed
Congress to contest all 294 seats solo in Bengal; Left Front unfazed
Congress vows to fight all 294 Bengal Assembly seats alone, while CPI(M) downplays any impact on the Left Front's prospects amid new alliance talks.
The Congress on February 5, 2026 announced it will contest all 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal on its own, ending months of speculation about a possible seat-sharing pact with the Left Front. The decision was made after a meeting that included party president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir, and State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar. The move signals a fresh alignment in Bengal politics as parties reevaluate their strategies ahead of the polls.
Md. Salim, CPI(M) State Secretary, said on Friday that there was never a formal alliance with the Congress, only a seat-sharing arrangement that ended after 2021. He stressed that since then there has been no joint programme between the Congress and the CPI(M). Salim also noted that Subhankar Sarkar has not positioned against the Trinamool Congress, aligning with the Congress’ stated stance. At the same time, the Congress decision comes as the Left Front explores new alliance partners as Humayun Kabir’s Janata Unnayan Party (JUP) and Naswad Siddique’s Indian Secular Front (ISF) have shown interest in a broader anti-TMC framework.
The Left Front’s outreach has intensified after 2018, a period that saw Bengal politics polarize around the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. The Congress’ solo run is seen as a setback to the idea of uniting all non-BJP, anti-Trinamool forces under one banner in West Bengal. In a broader context, observers note that the decision could lead to a four-cornered contest in the state, with parties recalibrating seat-sharing and vote banks to maximize their impact across 294 seats.
