For the first time in its history, the CPI(M) will have no representative from West Bengal in either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.
The term of Bikashranjan Bhattacharyya, the party’s lone Rajya Sabha member from Bengal, is set to expire before next year’s poll.
However, as the party failed to secure a single seat in the last Assembly elections, it is not in a position to send any representative to the upper House from the state.
On 2019, general elections, the CPI(M) had no representation in the Lok Sabha from Bengal.
Also read: BJP leader Dilip Ghosh mocks Mamata's London visit
Five Rajya Sabha seats from the state will become vacant as the terms of Trinamool Congress (TMC) members Subrata Bakshi, Mausam Benazir Noor, Ritabrata Banerjee, and Saket Gokhale come to an end.
Additionally, CPM leader and lawyer Bhattacharyya will also complete his tenure. However, due to the party’s declining strength in the Assembly, the CPM will not be able to retain the seat, potentially allowing the BJP to secure another Rajya Sabha MP from Bengal.
Since the Left Front’s 2011 electoral downfall, the CPI(M)’s representation in the Rajya Sabha from Bengal has steadily declined. In 2011, veteran leader Sitaram Yechury secured a second term in the Rajya Sabha. The following year, the party managed to send trade union leader Tapan Sen for a second term.
However, in 2014, CPI(M) took a different approach by nominating young leader Ritabrata Banerjee, who was later expelled in 2017 for alleged political misconduct. His expulsion led to his classification as a ‘non-party MP.’ By 2018, when Tapan Sen’s term ended, the CPM lost its representation in the Rajya Sabha from Bengal.
In 2020, in an attempt to strengthen the Congress-Left alliance, then Opposition Leader Abdul Mannan pushed for CPM to be given a Rajya Sabha seat. At his insistence, CPM nominated Bhattacharyya, who had a close association with Mannan due to their involvement in the legal battle in Saradha scam case.
The Congress supported his candidacy, allowing Bhattacharyya to enter the Rajya Sabha despite CPM’s declining presence. However, his term is set to end next year and due to the current Assembly composition, CPM will not be able to replace him.
Reflecting on the situation, Mannan expressed disappointment. "It is unfortunate that neither the Congress nor the Left will have representation in the Rajya Sabha from Bengal. In 2016, the Congress-Left alliance gained public support, but opportunistic leaders later weakened the partnership. This led to the decline in credibility for both parties, paving the way for BJP’s rise. The Left and Congress have now been sidelined," he said.
Bhattacharyya, however, remains pragmatic about the party’s absence from the Rajya Sabha. “This is how parliamentary politics works. At one time, the Left had over 60 MPs from Bengal across both Houses. Now, our numbers have dwindled due to lack of electoral success. But I believe that, over time, the CPI(M) and the Left will regain their presence in Parliament," he said.
The CPI(M)’s declining influence was first evident in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, followed by continued setbacks in the 2024 general elections and the 2021 Assembly polls. Even when trade union leader Tapan Sen’s Rajya Sabha term ended in 2018, the CPM had no replacement from Bengal. Similarly, in 2017, Congress MP Pradeep Bhattacharyya secured a second term, while CPM’s last-minute attempt to field Bhattacharyya was thwarted due to nomination issues. Many speculated that CPI(M) deliberately made the move to avoid direct competition with Congress.
In 2018, the Congress nominated Abhishek Manu Singhvi for the Rajya Sabha alongside four TMC candidates. The CPI(M) fielded Rabin Deb but failed to secure a seat. Later, with Congress’s support, Bhattacharyya became a Rajya Sabha MP. However, his term expires on April 2 next year and with Assembly elections still pending, the CPM will be left without representation in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
The Rajya Sabha elections in West Bengal occur in phases, requiring 42 MLA votes for six seats in one phase and 50 MLAs for the remaining five seats. Given that the CPI(M) currently has no MLAs in the Assembly, it stands no chance of securing a Rajya Sabha seat.
Meanwhile, the BJP, now the main opposition in the state, has successfully sent Anant Maharaj and Shamik Bhattacharyya to the Rajya Sabha.
With Bhattacharyya's seat becoming vacant, the BJP is likely to claim another seat from Bengal, further consolidating its influence in the Upper House of Parliament.
Follow us
