The struggle for survival in West Bengal

-Congress and the Left in constant tension

-Three decades of Congress rule and three and a half decades of Left rule

New Delhi / Kolkata Ta. The 25 West Bengal Assembly elections have not yet been formally announced but all political parties are already gearing up. The highest tension was between the Congress and the Left.

After the country became independent, West Bengal was ruled by the Congress for the first three decades and then by the Left for three and a half decades. But to this day, both parties are killing Hawatis to survive.

After winning the West Bengal Assembly elections, the two parties are now struggling to survive. Since the Congress lost power to the Janata Party in 1977, it has not consistently gained power at the Center. The left has been in exile for the last ten years.

At present, there are only two big contenders in West Bengal - the BJP and the Trinamool Congress. The Congress and the Left were forming an alliance to grab the votes of the two. "We have joined hands with the Left for the state assembly elections," West Bengal Congress president and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan said on Thursday. The alliance was hailed by party president Sonia Gandhi.