Congress-CPI(M) strain comes to fore ahead of Dharmanagar bypoll

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, March 20, 2026

Strained ties between the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have come into focus ahead of the April 9 by-election to the Dharmanagar Assembly constituency, with both parties fielding separate candidates.

The Congress on Thursday announced Chayan Bhattacharjee as its nominee for the bypoll. He had contested the 2023 Assembly elections from the seat and lost by a margin of around 1,000 votes.

The development follows CPI(M)’s earlier decision to field its own candidate, indicating a departure from the electoral understanding the two parties had maintained during the 2023 Assembly elections. Although not formally described as an alliance, the arrangement had involved seat adjustments aimed at avoiding direct contests.

While the understanding yielded limited results for CPI(M), the Congress secured three seats and opened its account in the state Assembly. The two parties also contested together in the subsequent Lok Sabha elections but were unsuccessful.

In elections held after the parliamentary polls, both parties contested independently, reflecting a shift in their electoral strategy.

Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury said the by-election would serve as a test of organisational strength for all political parties. He indicated that both Congress and CPI(M) would assess their respective support bases through the contest.

Congress leaders alleged that CPI(M) had announced its candidate without prior consultation, which they said went against the spirit of their earlier understanding.

Political observers said the decision of both parties to contest separately points to a more direct and competitive electoral contest between them in the Dharmanagar bypoll.

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