Bengal polls: Rahul to discuss possible alliance partners, Congress preparations

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the assembly elections in West Bengal early next year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to hold meeting with party leaders from the state to discuss preparations and alliance.

The meeting will be attended by Bengal Congress incharge Jitin Prasada, State chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Congress legislature party leader Abdul Mannan also expected to join. 

The meeting will discuss possible alliances in the state with like minded parties.

While the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has given go ahead for alliance with the Congress in the state. 

The party is divided over alliance in Bengal with views split over going with Left parties or the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Though Chowdhury is against any alliance with the TMC. 

While the BJP has made inroads in the state by winning 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019, the TMC has to save it’s government while it will be a fight for survival for the grand old party in the state. 

In 2016, the Congress contesting in alliance with the Left won 44 seats in 294-member assembly. But majority of its MLAs have joined the TMC over the past five years. 

The state having a sizeable population of Muslims hold key at many seats. 

Traditionally, Muslims have voted for the TMC and the Congress but Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM decision to contest Bengal polls may act as spoil sport.

CWC to condole deaths of Gogoi, Patel

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is scheduled to meet Friday to condole demise of senior party leaders Ahmed Patel and Tarun Gogoi. Patel and Gogoi both passed away due to Covid-19 related complications.

Both leaders were members of the Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision making body.

The demise of two veterans comes at a time when the party leaders are engaged in war of words over leadership issues.

While, Gogoi made his way up in the Congress party from the grassroots before being elected as the Chief Minister in 2001, Ahmed remained a Gandhi loyalist till the end.