The West Bengal Congress is facing the same ideological battle the CPI(M) had earlier faced—which political group to ally with.
Interestingly, at its last party Congress in Hyderabad, the CPI(M) took a radical step in removing Congress from the list of 'untouchables' (just in order to have a close tie-up with Congress in West Bengal and Tripura); however, the Congress in West Bengal is divided over whether to pursue an alliance with the CPI(M) or the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Congress leaders from Malda and Murshidabad, who are facing 'extinction' because of the tug of war between BJP and Trinamool Congress, have asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to ally with the Trinamool Congress.
Malda North MP Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury said, "I have spoken to Rahulji and asked him to allow us to have an alliance with TMC."
Abu Hasem refused to say whether he would join TMC if the alliance proposal was not accepted by the Congress.
Abu Hasem, brother of late Congress strongman in Malda Ghani Khan Chowdhury, apparently had series of discussions with TMC leaders who have invited him to join the Trinamool Congress. Abu Hasem reportedly asked Mamata Banerjee's emissary whether he should try to have an alliance between the two parties first and then if that failed, he would join the TMC.
Malda and Murshidabad are both border districts of West Bengal, which have a Muslim majority population. The Congress is very strong in these districts. However, the BJP is emerging as a real contender, bagging Hindu votes in these two districts.
Adhir Chowdhury, who is president of the West Bengal Congress, belongs to Murshidabad and has been MP from Behrampore four times. He is known to be a strong critic of Banerjee.
While these leaders have pushed the Congress to have an alliance with TMC to retain their seats in the upcoming general election, the others, known to oppose Banerjee, are looking at the 'other option'.
"If they ally with TMC, we would have no other option then but to join BJP. We will not allow this [tie-up with TMC] to happen," said a Congress MLA.
This Congress MLA predicted that large number of Congress leaders would join the BJP as they are opposed to the way TMC has almost eaten up the Congress's vote share in West Bengal.
Pradip Bhattacharya, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, recently told THE WEEK that though opposition unity could take place in many places in the country, it would not be fruitful in West Bengal.
The CPI(M) sympathisers in the Congress, who are primarily opposed to the TMC, have asked the party to go it alone if there is no surety on arriving at a consensus.
But Congressmen from Malda and Murshidabad, where the party is strong, feel even then they would not be able to retain their seats.
So, irrespective of what the Congress high command decides, the party is staring at the possibility of another split in West Bengal.
In 2016, Gandhi faced strong resentment in the West Bengal Congress when it was divided on the issue of joining hands with the CPI(M). But this time, the tremors are much more visible as the BJP is all set to engineer a split in the West Bengal Congress.