Cong keeps options open on tie-up with Mamata's AITC in Bengal civic polls

• State Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar keeps options open on possible understanding with Mamata-AITC.

• Opposition parties seek postponement of municipal polls until electoral roll revision and pending appeals are resolved.

• Saugata Roy calls for Opposition unity against BJP ahead of upcoming political events.

The possibility of an alliance between the Congress and Mamata Banerjee's All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) for the upcoming municipal elections in Kolkata, Howrah and other parts of West Bengal has sparked fresh discussion in political circles. Although no formal decision has been announced, the Congress has indicated that it is keeping its options open as Opposition parties look for ways to unite against the BJP.

The question gained attention after Congress state president Subhankar Sarkar suggested that the party was willing to explore different possibilities. His remarks came amid a joint demand by Opposition parties and civil rights groups to postpone the municipal elections until the process of restoring the names of eligible voters removed during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is complete.

“There was an unexpected alliance with Mamata-AITC in Nandigram and we have seen the results. Though it is not confirmed, the party is exploring all possibilities and keeping the options open,” Sarkar said.

His statement has fuelled speculation over whether the Congress and AITC could set aside their political differences to challenge the BJP.

On Monday, 26 October, Opposition leaders and civil society representatives submitted a letter to West Bengal state election commissioner Krishna Gupta, demanding that elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Howrah Municipal Corporation and other municipal bodies be held only after the ongoing electoral roll revision process is complete.

The letter was jointly signed by Sarkar, Mamata-AITC leader and Dum Dum MP Saugata Roy, former Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar, a member of the CPI(M) state secretariat, and representatives of other Opposition parties and civil society organisations.

The signatories argued that holding municipal elections before the process is completed could prevent thousands of eligible voters from exercising their democratic rights.

According to the letter, many eligible voters were removed from the electoral rolls during the SIR exercise ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The office of the state's chief electoral officer launched a special initiative on 1 October to help restore the names of those who had been left out.

The Election Commission has also announced a special summary revision (SSR), with 1 January 2027 as the qualifying date. The draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on 12 November, while the final roll is due on 4 January 2027.

The Opposition has therefore demanded that the municipal elections be held only after the process is complete — either after 4 January or on a later date decided by the Election Commission.

The letter has also raised concerns about voters whose appeals against their exclusion from the electoral rolls are still pending before the appellate tribunal.

Citing an affidavit submitted by the Election Commission to the Supreme Court on 16 September, the signatories said appeals from around 120,000 applicants in the KMC area and another 39,000 in the Howrah Municipal Corporation area remained unresolved. This means that nearly 160,000 people across the two municipal areas could face uncertainty over their voting rights.

The Opposition also pointed out that, among the cases already decided by the tribunal, all applicants in Kolkata district and 99 per cent of applicants in Howrah were found eligible for inclusion in the electoral rolls.

The signatories warned that excluding people whose appeals are pending from the municipal elections could effectively deny them their voting rights for a second time. They urged the state Election Commission to ensure that those who have appealed against their exclusion are included in the electoral rolls for the municipal polls.

Citing Article 243-ZA of the Constitution and Section 5 of the West Bengal State Election Commission Act, 1994, the Opposition argued that the commission has the authority to address issues concerning municipal electoral rolls.

Roy backed the demand for greater unity among Opposition parties, arguing that defeating the BJP should be the immediate priority. “It is time for the Opposition to get united and fight the BJP together,” he said. “The priority should be to oust this fascist government first. So, the need of the hour is to set aside all the differences and fight together.”

Meanwhile, Opposition unity is expected to feature prominently in upcoming political events in Delhi. The INDIA bloc has announced a 'People's Impeachment' programme for 30 October, followed by a major Congress rally on 1 November, which Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee are expected to attend.