Following its heavy loss to the BJP in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress appears to be losing ground. This trend showed in the recent Falta repoll, where the party placed fourth behind the winning BJP, runner-up CPI(M) and third-placed Congress.
The result raises the question of whether the Left and Congress can fill the resulting space in state politics. It is unclear if the CPI(M) and Congress will form an alliance to do so.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Left-Congress alliance led in only 12 of the state’s 294 assembly segments. The Congress topped 11 segments across several districts, while the CPI(M) led in one.
The 2026 Assembly outcome offered some insight into the separate vote shares of the Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left. The Congress secured two seats and the CPI(M) one after contesting independently.
A senior TMC leader expressed worry that minority support is moving toward the CPI(M) and Congress, which could strengthen those parties locally if the shift continues.
A CPI(M) state committee member noted that an alliance with the Congress and Indian Secular Front might have yielded more seats and said efforts are underway to unite for upcoming bypolls in Rejinagar and Nandigram.
The leader added that the party aims to consolidate minority votes, attract Hindu support and further weaken the TMC. CPI(M) Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the party must oppose BJP policies on jobs and communal issues.
A senior Congress leader described the TMC as a declining force and said the party is well placed to gain in Malda and Murshidabad. State Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy said only the Left and Congress are consistently opposing the BJP and that a united front is needed for an effective challenge.
