BJP pressure spurs Bengal’s once-bitter rivals towards a common front

The BJP's increasingly aggressive approach towards Opposition parties in West Bengal is prompting its rivals to weigh the prospect of setting aside longstanding hostilities and exploring a joint fight against the ruling party.

This is reflected in appeals for collective action and overtures between leaders who were once bitter adversaries.

Pradesh Congress president Subhankar Sarkar's call for Opposition parties and civil society organisations to unite under a common banner, and CPI(M) veteran Ashok Bhattacharya's support for a joint anti-BJP movement proposed by former Trinamool Congress (TMC) minister Gautam Deb, are among the clearest signs of this emerging willingness to explore cooperation.

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The possibility of such a convergence gained traction after CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee established contact over the demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and concerns surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Joint fight against BJP under white flag

Sarkar earlier this week appealed to Opposition parties, social organisations and civil society groups to set aside their respective flags and unite under a common white flag to fight the BJP.

He argued that ideological and organisational differences should not prevent a collective struggle against what he described as the BJP's authoritarian politics.

In north Bengal, Deb's proposal for a joint movement against the BJP received support from Bhattacharya, his longtime political rival in Siliguri.

Bhattacharya backed collective action to defend the Constitution and democratic institutions, though he maintained that any electoral understanding would have to be decided by the CPI(M)'s state leadership.

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There are, however, political and organisational hurdles to any such understanding.

While Baby has shown a willingness to coordinate with Mamata on national issues, the CPI(M)’s top state leadership remains reluctant to extend that cooperation to electoral politics, even as the Left Front remains divided over how to deal with her TMC.

Reservations are also evident within the state Congress, where sections remain wary of any association with the TMC.

CPI(M) rules out alliance with TMC for municipal polls

At a meeting of Left parties in Kolkata on alleged vote theft and electoral-roll exclusions, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya favoured building a broad movement without allowing the question of alliances to obstruct it.

CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim, however, cautioned against allowing political elements with questionable records to join the movement, reflecting his continuing reservations about the TMC.

The CPI(M) has also ruled out an electoral alliance with the TMC for the forthcoming municipal elections, while keeping open the possibility of arrangements with the Congress.

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Some Left leaders fear that rapprochement with Mamata could alienate voters who opposed her government and undermine the party's efforts to rebuild its independent base.

Idea of collective movement

Those reservations stem from the Left's experience during the TMC's 15 years in power, when it repeatedly accused Mamata's government of political violence and attacks on its workers.

The BJP's arrival in power, however, appears to be prompting some Left leaders to reconsider their approach, particularly after CPI(M) bookstalls were vandalised during Durga Puja and party offices came under attack.

The changing mood was particularly evident in Siliguri, where the political rivalry between Deb and Bhattacharya has been a longstanding feature of local politics. The two leaders now appear willing to bury the hatchet.

“We are not asking the CPI(M) or Congress to stand with us. We are asking everyone to come together to protect democracy and protest against the authoritarianism prevailing in the country,” he said.

Bhattacharya endorsed the idea of a collective movement, saying, “We have already maintained that the Constitution and democracy are under threat. We are prepared to join a movement with everyone on this issue, whether in the state or nationally.”

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He, however, cautioned that an electoral alliance could not be decided in this manner and would require the approval of the CPI(M)'s state committee.

Congress’s call to fight together

TMC leaders have also reached out to former adversaries. Party MP Kalyan Banerjee called for the CPI(M), Congress and TMC to unite against the BJP following the confrontation involving ABVP members and Left students at Jadavpur University.

The clearest call so far for a joint anti-BJP movement has come from the Congress. Sarkar urged all Opposition forces to set aside their differences and fight together, including in the forthcoming municipal elections.

“In the present circumstances, I believe all forces must unite to defeat the BJP. Everyone who opposes the BJP in Bengal, irrespective of their party flag or social background, must come together and fight,” he said.

He also described the proposed use of a common white flag alongside individual party flags as a symbolic gesture to overcome divisions.

The Congress, too, accused the BJP of restricting its political activities and targeting Opposition organisations.

Adhir continues to oppose Mamata

Earlier this month, Meta suspended the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee’s Instagram account, which had nearly 97,600 followers, citing legal requirements under India’s IT Rules.

The party also cited attacks on its local organisation. On October 22, Congress leaders in Rajarhat alleged that BJP supporters had vandalised their office in the Bishnupur II panchayat area of North 24 Parganas. A CPI(M) office in the same locality was also ransacked that night. The BJP, however, denied the allegations.

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But the Congress's unity push has met resistance within the party. Former state Congress president and senior leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has maintained his opposition to any rapprochement with Mamata, accusing the TMC of weakening the Congress organisation in Bengal through years of political violence, poaching and intimidation.

“Therefore, I am not withdrawing my opposition to Mamata Banerjee,” he said.

For now, the idea of cooperation remains in the realm of what a CPI(M) source described as a “tentative political exploration”.

That the possibility of working with the TMC is being discussed within the Left Front, including the CPI(M), is itself a significant development. Moreover, Mamata and Baby's warm interaction at the INDIA bloc rally in Delhi, following their direct communication over the poll panel, did not go unnoticed, adding to speculation about a possible thaw.