Left Front-led Alliance

Left Front-led Alliance (abbr. LF+)^[2][3][4] is a political alliance led by the Left Front in the Indian state of West Bengal in opposition to the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).^[5][6]

Following the fall of CPI(M)-led Left Front government in West Bengal along with the rise of anti-communist Trinamool Congress in 2011 and the rise of the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014, the CPI(M) had welcomed ideas of the broad understanding of secular and democratic forces. The first signs came when in the Siliguri municipal election, CPI(M) made some local understanding with INC resulting in CPI(M) leader Ashok Bhattacharya being appointed as the mayor. This success got popularity as the "Siliguri Model".^[7] After the success of the model, in the long run, some Congress and CPI(M) leader advocated for a Left-Congress alliance.^[8] This gradually materialized into "alliance" between INC and Left Front. The precedence of the Left Front providing outside support to the UPA-I government in 2004-2008 was cited in support.^[9]

Given the political history of West Bengal, the materialisation of an alliance between the Congress & the CPI(M), 2 parties that have been bitter rivals of each other since the 1970s & have a history of unleashing political violence against each other's cadres, took the political circles of the state by surprise. After much dispute and secession of two far-left groups: SUCI(C) and CPI(ML)L, from the Left Front, both Congress and the Communists formed an understanding basis of what they called "seat-sharing", strongly objecting to the use of the word "alliance".

In 2016, Mahajot^[10][11][12] was formed on the broad agreement that some political parties proposed before the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election for fighting against the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and the Bharatiya Janata Party on national level. Left Front consisting of CPI(M), CPI, RSP, AIFB and DSP along with INC released their respective candidate list in several rounds after consultations and bargaining.^[13][14] However, the alliance failed to gain the majority seats in the assembly elections.^[15][16] Afterwards, ahead of 2019 Indian general election, the alliance between the Congress and the Left Front is off the cards as both camps could not agree on a seat-sharing formula for Lok Sabha elections, especially in the Raiganj and Murshidabad seats, where the incumbent MP was from CPI(M) but the MLAs of the constituent legislative assembly seats were mostly from the Congress.^[17][18]

Subsequently, Mahajot succeeded to Sanjukta Morcha^[19] in 2021 with the joining of ISF in the alliance. Despite a spirited campaign, both the Left Front and the Indian National Congress drew a blank in the election with a considerable decrease in their respective vote shares. That was the first time when, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly was devoid of any MLA from Left Front or Congress.^[20] Afterwards, ahead of 2024 Indian general election, ISF decided to contest alone in the Lok Sabha polls due to some differences in seat sharing and marks the end of alliance with Left and INC.^[21] Thereafter, Sanjukta Morcha succeeded to LF–INC Alliance^[22] or Secular Democratic Alliance. The alliance won only 1 seat (Maldaha Dakshin) out of the 42 it contested.

Afterwards, ahead of 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election Indian National Congress decided to fight alone in the polls marking the end of LF–INC Alliance.^[23][24] On the other hand, Left Front kept uniting other left parties (communist and socialist parties) including CPI(ML) Liberation and other 'secular', 'democratic' forces and fractions^[25] together forming a broader left alliance Left Front+.^{[26][27][28][29]} Subsequently, Indian Secular Front (ISF) once again joined hands with the alliance led by CPI(M)-led Left Front.^[30]

Past Members

• Left Democratic Front (Kerala)
• Left Front (West Bengal)
• Left Front (Tripura)
• Communist Party of India (Marxist), West Bengal