Sanyukta Morcha | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | SM |
Founded | 2021 |
Preceded by | Mahajot (Left-INC alliance) |
Ideology | Big tent Factions: Communism[1] Marxism-Leninism[2][3] Secularism[4] Left-wing nationalism Socialism Marxism[5] |
Political position | Centre-left to left-wing |
Seats in Lok Sabha | 2 / 42 |
Seats in Rajya Sabha | 1 / 16 |
Seats in West Bengal Legislative Assembly | 1 / 294 |
Sanjukta Morcha, alternatively Sanyukta Morcha (transl. United Front),[6] is a political alliance formed ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election as an alternative to the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. It was led by Communist Party of India (Marxist).[7][8] After the election, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the head of Congress, declared the end of any alliance with Indian Secular Front[9][10][11][12][13] Later on CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the electoral alliances was over after the polls, but the political understanding between Left, Congress and ISF will continue.[14][15]
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.
After the success of the model, in the long run, some Congress and CPI(M) leader advocated for a Left-Congress alliance.[16] This gradually materialized into "alliance" between INC and Left Front in all the seats except in Murshidabad district.
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 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".
Left Front consisting of CPI(M), CPI, RSP and All India Forward Bloc along with INC released their respective candidate list in several rounds after consultations and bargaining.[17][18]
In 2016, Secular Democratic Alliance[19] or locally known as Mahajot was formed on the broad agreement that some political parties proposed before the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election for fighting against Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, & the Bharatiya Janata Party on a national level. Subsequently, Mahajot succeeded to Sanjukta Morcha in 2021.
Party | Symbol | Leader(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Communist Party of India (Marxist) | CPI(M) | Mohammed Salim | ||
Indian National Congress | INC | Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury | ||
Communist Party of India | CPI | Swapan Banerjee | ||
All India Forward Bloc | AIFB | Debabrata Biswas | ||
Revolutionary Socialist Party | RSP | Manoj Bhattacharya | ||
Indian Secular Front[a] | ISF | Nawsad Siddique |
Election Year | Overall votes | % of overall votes | Total seats | seats won/ seats contensted |
+/- in seats | Sitting side |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 |
59,71,604 | 10.04% | 294 | 1 / 294
|
76 | — |
Ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, Indian Secular Front joined the alliance with Left Front and Indian National Congress.[20] The alliance was announced in a rally of Left Front (West Bengal) in the Brigade Parade Ground.[21] The Left Parties will contest in 165 seats, Congress in 92 and ISF in 37 seats.
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 and the Indian Secular Front (contesting in the name and symbol of the Rashtriya Secular Majlis Party) wrested the Bhangar Assembly constituency from the All India Trinamool Congress.
The Left Front supported Indian National Congress candidate Bayron Biswas for by-election in Sagardighi Assembly constituency.[22] He defeated TMC candidate Debasish Bandopadhyay by a margin of 22,986 votes. However, Biswas later defected to the TMC.
Election Year | Overall votes | % of overall votes | Gram Panchayat | Panchayat Samiti | Zila Parishad |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 |
95,65,359 | 23.02% | 6,822 / 63,229
|
459 / 9,730
|
17 / 928
|
On 2 March 2023, CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim, in a press meeting, said that smaller anti-TMC and anti-BJP forces including the Indian Secular Front supported INC candidate Bayron Biswas. He also added that alliance of Left and Centrist forces and other parties will continue in 2023 Panchayat elections and 2024 parliamentary election.[23] In May 2023, he said that Left, Congress and ISF are finalising seat-sharing arrangements for the 2023 election and will contest together in 2024 Parliamentary election.[24]