Two former Trinamool Congress civic representatives from Kolkata joined the Congress on Wednesday, giving the opposition party a fresh organisational boost ahead of the municipal elections, according to Sangbad Pratidin. Farzana Chowdhury, a councillor from the old Ward 64, and Sanchita Mondal, councillor of Ward 51 and a former borough chairperson, joined the party at the Madhya Kolkata district Congress office at Haji Mohammad Mohsin Square.
West Bengal Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar formally welcomed the two leaders by handing them the party flag. Madhya Kolkata district Congress president Manas Sarkar, state Congress general secretary Partha Bhowmik, Suman Raychowdhury and other party leaders were present at the joining programme.
The move is significant for Kolkata’s municipal politics because both leaders are described by the source as having an organisational and voter base extending from the Sealdah area towards Ballygunge. Their arrival gives the Congress additional local-level representation as political parties prepare for the next civic contest. The source report did not provide details of their proposed wards, organisational responsibilities or whether they would contest the municipal elections on Congress tickets.
Farzana Chowdhury had earlier been associated with the Communist Party of India, according to the report. She won the 2020 municipal election on a Left-backed ticket before later joining the Trinamool Congress. Sanchita Mondal served as a borough chairperson during her association with the Kolkata civic system.
The movement comes as the Congress seeks to rebuild its presence in West Bengal’s electoral politics. The report links the party’s recent efforts to its performance in the Nandigram and Rejinagar by-elections, where it is described as having received comparatively stronger support than in earlier contests. It also notes that the Congress has contested elections independently at times and in alliance with the Left over the past 15 years, without making a significant electoral gain.
For the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, such political realignments can affect the composition of ward-level opposition, borough-level coordination and the selection of candidates for the next civic election. However, the joining of two leaders by itself does not establish a change in control of any ward or borough. The source report also did not specify the election schedule, the Congress’s seat-sharing plans or any formal response from the Trinamool Congress.
The immediate next step will be the Congress’s organisational preparation in the affected wards and its decisions on candidate selection and campaign structure before the municipal elections.
