KOLKATA: After five years in wilderness, CPM and Congress will return to the assembly with BJP on the treasury benches and Trinamool sharing the opposition space.It is Murshidabad that has reopened the assembly doors for the two parties.CPM, with a vote share of 4.45%, won the Domkal seat while Congress, with a vote share of 3%, won two – Farakka and Raninagar. Unlike in 2021, this time the two parties went their separate ways.“Despite our sincere efforts, the failure to reach an understanding with Congress allowed BJP to capture the space for an alternative to Trinamool Congress,” confessed CPM state secretary Md Salim. “After a long time, there will be a leftist MLA in the assembly. The party is committed to the goal of continuing movements in the interest of people both inside and outside the house. Leftist workers will remain by the side of the people in any situation.“

CPM’s alliance partner, Indian Secular Front, won Bhangar. Naushad Siddiqui defeated Saokat Molla of Trinamool in the constituency.With these victories in minority-dominated Murshidabad, CPM and Congress have made a dent in Trinamool’s clout in these parts. In 2021, Trinamool had bagged 20 out of 22 seats in this district with BJP winning the other two. On Monday, the party was reduced to just nine.The two victories apart, all prominent Congress faces – Adhir Chowdhury in Berhampore, party president Subhankar Sarkar and Mausam Benazir Noor – lost.“I accept the mandate of the people. I hope that this is a good beginning for the journey into the future,” said Pradesh Congress president Subhankar Sarkar. “Fifteen years of Trinamool’s governance had been marked by rampant corruption, political violence, lack of development and unemployment.”“Thousands of genuine voters could not vote this time. The large turnout was a result of people’s fear of losing their voting rights in the next election if they failed to vote this time,” Sarkar said.Asserting that the changed political scenario will now help Congress emerge as “the only alternative” to BJP across the state, Sarkar said, “there are many who committed suicide during the SIR process. Those who are trying to claim there were no deaths this time should also consider that. One of our party workers died during this period and no other party has suffered more pain than Congress during SIR in Bengal,” he said.