Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sent out a strong political message for West Bengal: the party must rebuild independently and avoid falling into the “alliance trap” again. During a meeting in Delhi with the Congress party’s two newly elected MLAs from Bengal, Rahul reportedly made it clear that the party’s revival in the state must now be driven through grassroots expansion and an aggressive independent political strategy.
After failing to win a single seat in the 2021 Assembly elections, Congress has finally managed to reopen its account in Bengal by winning two constituencies in the 2026 polls. Motab Sheikh won from Farakka, while Zulfikar Ali emerged victorious from Raninagar. Though modest in numbers, the victories have injected fresh energy into the party’s state unit, which has struggled for relevance amid the dominance of the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi personally called the two first-time MLAs to Delhi on Thursday, where he held discussions with them and senior party leaders. During the meeting, he reportedly stressed that Congress should strengthen its organisation under an “Ekla Chalo” or go-alone policy instead of depending on alliances with regional forces.
For years, Congress has experimented with alliances with both the Left and the Trinamool Congress in Bengal politics, but party insiders believe those strategies repeatedly weakened its independent support base and damaged organisational strength at the grassroots level.
According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi told the MLAs that the latest victory should be viewed only as a starting point. He reportedly said that people in Bengal are searching for a credible political alternative and that Congress can position itself as a counter to both the BJP’s communal politics and allegations of corruption against the Trinamool Congress.
The Congress leader is also believed to have instructed the Bengal unit to rebuild the organisation from booth level upward. He emphasised the need to overcome factionalism within the party and promote younger leadership across districts and blocks.
Special focus is expected to be given to minority-dominated areas as well as Dalit and tribal regions, where Congress hopes to revive lost political ground through direct public outreach campaigns.
Rahul Gandhi reportedly advised the two MLAs to remain vocal inside the Assembly while also maintaining a strong grassroots presence in their constituencies. Issues such as corruption, unemployment, women’s safety, and alleged Centre-State deprivation are expected to become key themes in the party’s future campaigns.
The Congress leadership is now preparing for the upcoming panchayat and municipal elections with renewed focus. Internal discussions are also underway to activate youth and student wings across organisational levels in Bengal.
Within the party, many leaders now see the victory of the two MLAs as more than symbolic. After years of political decline in the state, the Congress believes the result could mark the beginning of a long-term rebuilding process.
For Rahul Gandhi, these two newly elected faces have now become central to the party’s attempt to regain political relevance in West Bengal.
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