Congress Changes Stand, Says Won't Contest Bypoll Against Mamata Banerjee

The Congress's about-turn comes amid booming ties with the Trinamool, especially with a view on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Putting an end to all speculation, the Congress party today announced that it would not field a candidate against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the upcoming Bhabanipur bypoll which she is contesting later this month. Nor would the Congress campaign against her. The Left Front, which had earlier today said that if the Congress did not contest, then it was ready to, is yet to react to this latest Congress position. The two were in alliance for the West Bengal Assembly elections held earlier this year. Both drew a blank. "The Congress feels that by fielding a candidate against the Chief Minister, it may indirectly help the BJP in some way and the high command does not want to do that," West Bengal Congress chief and MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told NDTV. The decision from New Delhi came a day after Mr Chowdhury, who had earlier advocated not fielding a candidate as a matter of courtesy, said many leaders of the state party did not agree with him.