Secular Democratic Alliance

Following the heavy defeats in the 2011 Legislative Assembly election and the 2014 general election, the CPI(M) welcomed ideas of the alliance even with non-communist parties. The first signs came when in the Siliguri municipal election, CPI(M) made some local understanding with INC resulting in CPI(M) leader Ashok Bhattacharya being appointed as the mayor. This success got popularity as "Siliguri Model".{{Cite web|date=17 April 2016|title='Siliguri Model': How the Left-Congress 'alliance' was forged|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/siliguri-model-how-the-left-congress-alliance-was-forged-2757798/?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=WhatsappShare|work=The Indian Express|access-date=17 April 2016}} After the success of the model, in the long run, some Congress and CPI(M) leader advocated for a Left-Congress alliance.{{cite web|url=http://infoelections.com/infoelection/index.php/kolkata/6939-left-congress-alliance-in-west-bengal-elections-2016.html|title=Left-Congress alliance in West Bengal Elections 2016, hinted Left leaders|work=infoelections}} This gradually materialized into "alliance" between INC and Left Front. The precedence of the Left Front providing outside support to the UPA-I government in 2004-2008 was cited in support.{{fact|date=February 2025}}

Given the political history of West Bengal, the materialisation of an alliance between the Congress & the CPI(M), 2 parties that have been bitter rivals of each other since the 1970s & have a history of unleashing political violence against each other's cadres, took the political circles of the state by surprise. After much dispute and secession of 2 far-left groups : SUCI(C) and CPI(ML)L, from the Left Front, both Congress and Communists formed an understanding basis of what they called "seat-sharing", strongly objecting to the use of the word "alliance".{{fact|date=February 2025}}

In 2016, Mahajot{{Cite web|date=29 Feb 2016|title=WB Congress Calls For Alliance With CPI(M), Other "Secular Forces"|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/wb-congress-calls-for-alliance-with-cpim-other-secular-forces|work=The Quint}}{{Cite web|date=12 Jan 2016|title=West Bengal Elections 2016: CPI(M) to take final call on alliance with Congress next week|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-west-bengal-elections-2016-cpim-to-take-final-call-on-alliance-with-congress-next-week-2165160|work=DNA}}{{Cite web|date=23 May 2016|title=CPI-M and Congress alliance to continue in Bengal|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections-2016/west-bengal-elections-2016/news/cpi-m-and-congress-alliance-to-continue-in-bengal/articleshow/52404084.cms|work=The Times of India}} was formed on the broad agreement that some political parties proposed before the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election for fighting against the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and the Bharatiya Janata Party on national level. Left Front consisting of CPI(M), CPI, RSP, AIFB and DSP along with INC released their respective candidate list in several rounds after consultations and bargaining.{{cite web|url=http://infoelections.com/infoelection/index.php/kolkata/6338-wset-bengal-cpm-candidate-list.html|title=West Bengal Assembly Election Left Front Candidate List 2016|work=Infoelection}}{{cite web|url=http://infoelections.com/infoelection/index.php/kolkata/6336-west-bengal-congress-candidate-list.html|title=West Bengal Assembly Election Congress Candidate List 2016|work=Infoelection}} However, the alliance failed to gain the majority seats in the assembly elections.{{cite news |url =https://www.indiatoday.in/assembly-elections-2016/west-bengal-election/story/west-bengal-results-mamata-banerjee-set-to-sweep-left-congress-experiment-fails-324368-2016-05-19|title =West Bengal results: It's Mamata all the way, Left-Congress experiment fails|date =19 May 2016|author =Romita Datta}}{{cite news |date=22 May 2016|url =https://indianexpress.com/article/elections-2016/india/india-news-india/west-bengal-left-congress-alliance-weak-in-arithmetic-and-chemistry-2813058/|title =West Bengal: Left-Congress alliance weak in arithmetic and chemistry|work=The Indian Express}} Afterwards, ahead of 2019 Indian general election, the alliance between the Congress and the Left Front is off the cards as both camps could not agree on a seat-sharing formula for Lok Sabha elections, especially in the Raiganj & Murshidabad seats, where the incumbent MP was from CPI(M) but the MLAs of the constituent legislative assembly seats were mostly from the Congress.{{cite news|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/left-congress-alliance-mess-719266.html|title =Left-Congress alliance in a mess|date =19 February 2019|author =Soumya Das }}{{Cite web|date=18 March 2019|title=We're done: Congress calls off alliance with the Left in West Bengal|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/lok-sabha-2019/story/lok-sabha-elections-2019-congress-calls-off-alliance-left-west-bengal-1480435-2019-03-17|work=India Today}}

Subsequently, Mahajot succeeded to Sanjukta Morcha{{Cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/photos/photoessay/with-brigade-rally-left-congress-isfs-sanyukta-morcha-kicks-of-bengal-poll-campaign/2628|title=With Brigade Rally, Left-Congress-ISF's 'Sanyukta Morcha' Kicks Of Bengal Poll Campaign|website=Outlook India|date=2021-02-28|access-date=2021-03-01}} in 2021 with the joining of ISF in the alliance. Despite a spirited campaign, both the Left Front and the Indian National Congress drew a blank in the election with a considerable decrease in their respective vote shares. That was the first time when, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly was devoid of any MLA from Left Front or Congress.{{Cite web|date=3 May 2021|title=The rise of BJP and fall of leftist and Congress in West Bengal|url=https://www.tbsnews.net/world/politics/rise-bjp-and-fall-leftist-and-congress-west-bengal-240853|work=The Business Standard}} Afterwards, ahead of 2024 Indian general election, ISF decided to contest alone in the Lok Sabha polls due to some differences in seat sharing and marks the end of alliance with Left and Congress.{{Cite web|date=4 April 2024|title=Left Front's electoral understanding with the Indian Secular Front falls flat|url=https://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-sabha/left-fronts-electoral-understanding-with-the-indian-secular-front-falls-flat/article68029055.ece.html|work=The Hindu|access-date=4 April 2024}} Thereafter, Sanjukta Morcha succeeded to LF-INC Alliance{{Cite web|date=14 Feb 2024|title=রাজ্যে ফের বাম-কংগ্রেস জোট, আসনরফা নিয়ে লক্ষ্মীবারই বৈঠক সেলিম-অধীরের|url=https://www.sangbadpratidin.in/kolkata/cpim-and-congress-to-fight-ls-polls-2024-in-alliance-in-bengal/|work=Sangbad Pratidin|access-date=14 Feb 2024}} or Secular Democratic Alliance. On 29 March 2024 hill-based Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front president Ajoy Edwards joined hands with the alliance to take on both the BJP and the TMC in Darjeeling Lok Sabha polls.{{Cite web|date=29 March 2024|title=Ajoy Edwards chief of Hamro Party allies with INDIA, Munish Tamang national president of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh joins Congress|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/elections/lok-sabha-election-2024/ajoy-edwards-chief-of-hamro-party-allies-with-india-munish-tamang-national-president-of-bharatiya-gorkha-parisangh-joins-congress/cid/2009763|work=The Telegraph}} The alliance won only 1 seat (Maldaha Dakshin) out of the 42 it contested.

• Communist Party of India (Marxist), West Bengal
• Left Democratic Front
• Left Front (West Bengal)
• West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee

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Category:Defunct political party alliances in India

Category:Politics of West Bengal