Congress will suffer: CPM’s MA Baby on grand old party's decision to contest Bengal polls alone

CPM Veteran Slams Congress's Solo Strategy in Bengal

In the heated political landscape of West Bengal ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader MA Baby has sharply criticized the Congress party's decision to contest the polls independently. Baby, a seasoned CPM figure known for his candid assessments of opposition dynamics, argued that this move will prove disastrous for Congress, diluting its already fragile presence in the state. He emphasized that going alone ignores the harsh realities of Bengal's polarized politics, where the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) holds a vice-like grip and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aggressively expanding its footprint.

Congress's choice marks a significant shift, as it ends two decades of alliance attempts with regional players. The grand old party, which drew a blank in the 2021 elections for the first time in its history in Bengal, is now betting on rebuilding its base in traditional strongholds like Malda and Murshidabad. Party insiders see this as a dual strategy: securing a few seats while restoring long-term viability. However, Baby contends this isolates Congress further, handing advantages to its adversaries on a platter.

Fragmented Opposition Plays into TMC and BJP Hands

Baby's remarks underscore the broader challenges facing Bengal's opposition. With TMC entrenched through grassroots networks and central schemes' implementation disputes, and BJP ramping up booth-level mobilization—tasking leaders to cover multiple polling stations daily—the field is fiercely contested. Congress, starting from zero seats, faces the dual threat of TMC's dominance and BJP's rising appeal, particularly among voters swayed by national narratives on border security and migration from neighboring Bangladesh.

MA Baby told reporters, highlighting the perils of disunity.

Congress will suffer immensely from this misguided decision to go solo; it fragments the anti-TMC votes, strengthens BJP's inroads, and leaves no real challenge to Mamata Banerjee's machine—history shows united fronts are the only way to counter such dominance in Bengal,

The political rhetoric has intensified with cross-border issues, where BJP leverages concerns over infiltration and demographic shifts to portray TMC as lax on security. TMC counters by positioning itself as Bengal's protector of pluralism against central overreach. Meanwhile, the Election Commission is deploying central forces early, mapping vulnerable booths and planning a shorter poll schedule—potentially three to four phases—to curb violence, signaling expectations of a tense contest.

Electoral Preparations Signal High-Stakes Battle

As parties gear up, BJP's strategy emphasizes direct voter contact, distancing from podium politics to mirror TMC's mohalla-level strength. Leaders are compiling feedback for their manifesto, focusing on welfare schemes allegedly undermined by the state government. Congress hopes to reclaim Muslim voters in key areas, banking on reduced polarization around issues like CAA-NRC, and prioritizing development and jobs. Yet, the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, culminating in final lists, could reshape voter dynamics, adding another layer of uncertainty.

Baby's warning resonates amid this frenzy, suggesting Congress's solo gamble risks irrelevance. Analysts note that past alliances, though fraught, prevented total wipeouts. With Bangladesh's elections echoing into Bengal's discourse—fueling debates on migration and security—the opposition's division could solidify TMC's hold while boosting BJP's narrative as the sole alternative.

In wrapping up, MA Baby's critique spotlights the high risks of Congress contesting alone, amid BJP's grassroots push, TMC's stronghold, early EC interventions, and border-tinged rhetoric. This fragmented opposition landscape sets the stage for a fiercely competitive 2026 showdown in West Bengal, where unity might be the missing key to change.