Congress party split wide open in West Bengal

The West Bengal unit of the Congress is split wide open.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi met the party's Bengal MPs, MLAs, and members on Friday. But the differences between them came right out into the open at the meeting.

Half the party wants an alliance with the TMC, while the other half wants to go with the Left when the Lok Sabha elections come around.

Sources told WION that at the meeting, the attendees insisted on speaking with Rahul Gandhi, attendes insisted on speaking with Rahul Gandhi one-on-one rather than in a group as usually happens.

The sources added that PCC chief Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary strongly argued for a Left-Congress alliance, while the MPs and MLAs pitched for an alliance with the TMC.

The sources added that the party members supporting an alliance with the TMC hinted that they may chart a new course should the Congress decide to go with the Left.

In the last assembly elections, the Congress had come to an understanding with the Left but Mamta Banerjee's TMC swept the elections.

M Haq, Congress MLA from West Bengal and a secretary of the AICC, strongly pitched for an alliance with the TMC. He argued that the Left has no base left in the West Bengal. That it can galvanise support for the Congress in the rest of India but that it lies in tatters in its former stronghold of West Bengal.

When WION spoke to Haq, he said, "Going with Left would be suicide. They don't have any vote. One seat, one candidate was Mamata's idea. Left does not have any standing in West Bengal. Going with them would be akin to suicide."

The Congress leaders supporting the TMC say the Muslim vote has gone to the TMC while the Hindu vote is shifting to the BJP — and should the Congress go with the Left, it will end up with none.

The BJP has emerged as a cognisable force in West Bengal and like in Tripura, it could remove the Congress as a principal player from West Bengal.

Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary is of the view that the Congress' principal enemy is the TMC and the party cannot have an alliance with Mamat. He has been advocating his stand in public for the past one year.

The sources said Rahul Gandhi did not express his view on the matter to anyone. He heard out every functionary at the meeting.

When asked, Chaudhary said, "Mamta Banerjee has promoted BJP in the state. Congress is a victim of TMC's atrocity. BJP has emerged as a force because of her. How is an alliance possible? But final decision is with Congress President Rahul Gandhi. The view of the high command will matter."

Former union minister Deepa Das Munshi said that Congress should go it alone, only going in for an alliance if there is a Grand Alliance in the making. "If alliance has to take place, then it has to be now and not at the end. Congress needs to be strengthened at the grassroots," she said.