Sanchita Chatterjee, Bas News Agency, Kolkata: The Congress party's decision to contest the elections independently in West Bengal is being viewed as a major political gamble—particularly in its traditional strongholds such as Malda and Murshidabad. By distancing itself from the Left, the party is attempting to reclaim the ground it has lost. With the contest turning triangular in Muslim-majority constituencies, a fragmentation of the vote bank is considered inevitable.
West Bengal politics is witnessing an intriguing turn of events this time around, as the Congress party has decided—after a long hiatus—to contest the Assembly elections on its own strength. This 'go-it-alone' strategy is being interpreted as an attempt by the party to test its electoral fortunes, specifically in its traditional bastions of Malda and Murshidabad. Notably, in several previous elections, the Congress had contested in alliance with the Left Front; however, this strategy failed to yield the desired success.