A significant number of Congress district leaders in West Bengal are against forming alliances with any party for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections, as per party insiders. The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) recently consulted district leaderships on the matter of alliances and seat-sharing. Most leaders recommended that the party should independently contest the elections, rather than relying on allies for a few seats.
The district leaderships were specifically asked about potential seat-sharing with various parties including the CPI(M)-led Left Front, Trinamool Congress, All India Secular Front (AISF), and Janata Unnayan Party led by suspended Trinamool Congress legislator Humayun Kabir. Only leaders from two districts supported continuing the alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which started in the 2016 elections.
However, no district leader showed support for any collaboration with the Trinamool Congress in the upcoming polls. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee have already dismissed the possibility of an alliance with the Congress. On the other hand, the CPI(M) leadership in West Bengal has not ruled out the option of a seat-sharing understanding with Congress, despite reservations from some other Left Front members.
According to a WBPCC insider, the final decision on any seat-sharing arrangement will be made by the party high command or the All India Congress Committee (AICC). The state leadership has gathered feedback at the district level and will update the AICC accordingly. Political analysts noted that a smooth seat-sharing agreement for the 2026 Assembly elections seemed challenging from the beginning, with changes in key leadership dynamics in both the CPI(M) and Congress affecting the scenario.
