Congress puts up billboards to remind people of its existence in Kolkata

Perhaps for the first time in recent years, 113-year-old Congress has decided to put up billboards in north Kolkata saying the party "existed, exists and will exist".

Perhaps for the first time in recent years, 113-year-old Congress has decided to put up billboards in north Kolkata saying the party “existed, exists and will exist,” with smiling face of the party’s state president Adhir Chowdhury and not-so-smiling face of Somendra Nath Mitra.

Reasons to put up such billboards in good numbers are many. One among those was growing interest of the party members to join the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), the other of course is the compulsion to understand whether the Bengal chapter of the grand old party will have enough candidates to put up in forthcoming Assembly by-elections and a series of Municipal Corporation polls. So there was a genuine need to assure party cadres that the party survived and will survive in coming years.

But are the veterans confident about survival? “Yes, I am,” said a senior leader on condition of anonymity and added: “Provided we again align with the AITC.” Increasingly, it is becoming evident in Bengal’s politics that to survive many parties – who are opposed to Narendra Modi led Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) at the centre – need to align. The increasing movement of the left cadres to the BJP and even a section of Congress party’s workers to both the AITC and the BJP, is creating a situation when the ruling party in the State and its ‘mother party’ needs to come together. In fact a section of AITC wants that as well.

Vote share

“AITC had nearly 40 per cent votes and we had 9 per cent. This may reduce in the coming elections, but if we can form an alliance, we may get around 35-40 per cent and thus maintain the seats,” said the Congress veteran. But, then again, Adhir Chowdhury and the AITC chief, Mamata Banerjee hardly see eye-to-eye, thus making such an alliance impossible at this point. “But politics is always driven by specific immediate compulsions. Whether we will get close or not will depend on our performance in forthcoming elections,” said a senior AITC leader, who was an old war-horse of Congress for many years.

One of the crucial elections will be conducted in the Chowringhee Assembly seat, which is yet to be scheduled. The election is due as Shikha Mitra, wife of veteran Congress leader, Somendra Nath Mitra, left AITC and the seat. She will contest, albeit from Congress in the seat but unlike last time, when she contested from AITC, her victory is not assured. But the seat, perhaps the most high-profile in Kolkata and the State, will indicate several factors. Firstly, the seat with substantial non-Bengali vote base will indicate if the non-Bengali voters are still with BJP, like in the Lok Sabha election, or have shifted allegiance to the ruling party in the State for respective interest. Secondly, the percentage of votes for all the parties – including the Left – will indicate whether the much touted “Modi-wave” is still waving the electors. Thirdly, the election would also put to test the new Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State, who unlike his predecessors is not an IAS but a civil servant of State services.

However, there are other by-elections to be conducted as well and those will indicate trends as well.

Nobody, even the most dedicated Congressmen, expect the party to win in the forthcoming elections, but some semblance of a “strong fight” will serve as a vitamin for the seriously anaemic state of the Congress.

However, no one knows how the party will be able to put its act together to deliver a strong fight. In recent months, several Congress MLAs joined Trinamool Congress. Many more are expected to follow suit before 2016 Assembly election. Many of the leaders feel a “strong fight” is now mandatory. “Or else, we better talk to AITC,” said the senior leader.