Kolkata, September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Congress is not considering an electoral understanding with any faction of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal for the time being, despite backing the Mamata Banerjee-led faction in its dispute with the Election Commission over the party’s name and symbol.
A senior West Bengal Congress leader said the party’s state and national leadership were opposed to any alliance with the Trinamool Congress, citing longstanding differences between the two parties and concerns among grassroots Congress workers.
The leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Congress workers had not forgotten the alleged attempts by the Trinamool Congress to weaken the party in West Bengal between 2011 and 2016. He claimed that an alliance could strengthen the BJP in the state rather than help the Congress.
The Congress, the leader said, was instead focused on establishing itself as a major challenger to the BJP in West Bengal.
The party also plans to raise the arrest of its Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan as an issue against the BJP at both the state and national levels. Pradhan was arrested on September 18 in connection with an old case linked to the 2007 Nandigram land agitation. He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody until October 3.
The Congress has questioned the timing of the arrest, while police have said there was a pending non-bailable warrant against Pradhan and that old warrants are reviewed during elections.
The development comes after the Election Commission froze the original name and ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol of the All India Trinamool Congress amid an internal dispute. The poll panel subsequently allotted the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘football player’ symbol to the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, while the rival faction was allotted ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘envelope’ symbol for the upcoming bypolls.
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