Congress and CPM return to Bengal Assembly after five-year gap
Telegraph | 14 May 2026
Two from the Congress and one from the CPM took oath as MLAs on Wednesday, as both parties sent members to the Bengal Assembly after a five-year hiatus.
The three lawmakers are from Murshidabad.
CPM MLA from Domkal, Mostafijur Rahaman, came to the House by renting a car for ₹7,500, the cost borne by his party. He represented his party after no other candidate from the Left could win a single seat in Bengal.
Rahaman said he had more responsibility than other MLAs as he is the sole representative of the CPM.
“I will certainly discuss the role I have to play in the House with senior party leaders. I have the responsibility to raise the issues of the entire state, and I will do so,” said the 46-year-old CPM whole-timer.
Left Front, led by the CPM, which ruled the state for 34 years, won 62 seats in 2011, when Mamata Banerjee ascended to power. In 2016, the Front won only 33, while its ally Congress bagged 44 seats.
This time, the Congress and the Left contested separately.
Like the Left, the Congress too had no representation in the House since 2021.
This time, Murshidabad has blessed the Grand Old Party with victory in two seats — Raninagar and Farakka. The two MLAs, Julfikar Ali and Motab Shaikh, respectively, also took the oath on the floor of the House.
“We are very happy and want to thank the people of our constituencies for making us win. We will fight on the floor of the House on behalf of the Congress and the people,” said Ali later.