Secular Democratic Alliance

Political alliance in India

Not to be confused with Secular Progressive Alliance, Secular Democratic Forces, Secular Proggresive Front (2002-2012), or Secular Progressive Front.

Secular Democratic Alliance

ধর্মনিরপেক্ষ গণতান্ত্রিক জোট
Dharmanirapeksha Ganatantik Jot

Abbreviation| SDA
Leader| Collective leadership
Lok Sabha Leader| Isha Khan Choudhury
Rajya Sabha Leader| Adv. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya
Founders|

* Dr. Surjya Kanta Mishra
* Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Founded| 2016; 8 years ago (2016)
Preceded by| Sanjukta Morcha (2021-2024)
Membership (2024)|  6,645,398
Political position| Left-wing[A]
National affiliation| Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance
Colours|  Red
Lok Sabha|

1 / 42

Rajya Sabha|

1 / 16

West Bengal Legislative Assembly|

0 / 294

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration|

6 / 50

Gram Panchayats|

5,922 / 63,229

Panchayat Samitis|

489 / 9,730

Zilla Parishads|

16 / 928

Municipalities|

2 / 108

Website
sanjuktamorcha.in

* Politics of India
* Political parties
* Elections

* * *

^ A: The Front is described as a broad left-wing alliance, with centre-left and far-left factions.

Secular Democratic Alliance[1][2] or Left-Congress Alliance is a political alliance formed ahead of the 2024 Indian general election in West Bengal by the Left Front and the Indian National Congress in opposition to the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal.[3][4][5]

## Background

[edit]

Following the heavy defeats in the 2011 Legislative Assembly election and the 2014 general election, the CPI(M) welcomed ideas of the alliance even with non-communist parties. 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 "Siliguri Model".[6] After the success of the model, in the long run, some Congress and CPI(M) leader advocated for a Left-Congress alliance.[7] 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.

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 2 far-left groups : SUCI(C) and CPI(ML)L, from the Left Front, both Congress and Communists formed an understanding basis of what they called "seat-sharing", strongly objecting to the use of the word "alliance".

In 2016, Mahajot[8][9][10] 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.[11][12] However, the alliance failed to gain the majority seats in the assembly elections.[13][14] 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 & Murshidabad seats, where the incumbent MP was from CPI(M) but the MLAs of the constituent legislative assembly seats were mostly from the Congress.[15][16]

Subsequently, Mahajot succeeded to Sanjukta Morcha[17] 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.[18] 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 Congress.[19]Thereafter, Sanjukta Morcha succeeded to LF-INC Alliance[20] or Secular Democratic Alliance. On 29 March, 2024 hill-based Hamro Party president Ajoy Edwards joined hands with the alliance to take on both the BJP and the TMC in Darjeeling Lok Sabha polls.[21] The alliance won only 1 seat (Maldaha Dakshin by INC candidate Isha Khan Choudhury) out of the 42 it contested.

## Members

[edit]

Party  | Flag  | Symbol  | Political position  | Ideology  | Leader(s)

|
|
|
|
|

| CPI(M) | Communist Party of India (Marxist) |  |  | Left-wing to far-left | Communism
Marxism–Leninism | Mohammed Salim
| INC | Indian National Congress |  |  | Centre-left |

* Social liberalism
* Social democracy
* Democratic socialism

| Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
| CPI | Communist Party of India |  |  | Left-wing to far-left | Communism
Marxism–Leninism | Swapan Banerjee
| AIFB | All India Forward Bloc |  |  | Left-wing | Left-wing nationalism
Socialism
Marxism
Anti-imperialism | Naren Chatterjee
| RSP | Revolutionary Socialist Party |  |  | Far-left | Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Revolutionary socialism | Tapan Hor
| HP | Hamro Party |  |  |  | Gurkha nationalism
Gorkhaland statehood
Regionalism | Ajoy Edwards
| MFB | Marxist Forward Bloc |  |  | Left-wing | Left-wing nationalism
Socialism
Marxism
Anti-imperialism | Ashish Chakraborty
| RCPI | Revolutionary Communist Party of India | Far-left | Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Anti-stalinism | Subhash Roy
| BPI | Bolshevik Party of India | Far-left | Communism
Marxism–Leninism | Probir Ghosh
| WPI | Workers Party of India | Left-wing | Democratic socialism[citation needed]
Social democracy[citation needed]
Progressivism[citation needed] | Sibnath Sinha
| BBC | Biplobi Bangla Congress | Left-wing | Bengali nationalism
Socialism
Democratic socialism
Progressivism
Pacificism |

## Electoral history

[edit]

### Results of Indian general elections in West Bengal

[edit]

Election Year  | Overall Votes  | % of overall votes  | Total seats  | Seats won
| +/- in seats  | +/- in vote share

|
|
|
|
|
|

2024 | 6,645,398  | 11.03  | 42  | 1  | 1  | 2.02

## See also

[edit]

* Communist Party of India (Marxist), West Bengal
* Left Democratic Front
* Left Front (West Bengal)
* West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee

## Notes

[edit]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Surjya Kanta Mishra: 'West Bengal Left bringing secular forces together to fight Trinamool and BJP'". Frontline. 12 February 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
2. ^ "Bengal CPI(M) for unity of Left, democratic and secular forces". Business Standard. 8 Feb 2018.
3. ^ "Lok Sabha Election 2024: সামনে অধীর-সেলিম, রাস্তায় নেমেছে জোট". Anandabazar. 29 April 2024.
4. ^ "Lok Sabha polls 2024: Left, Congress talks on in West Bengal to keep BJP, TMC at bay". The New Indian Express. 19 March 2024.
5. ^ "Sonia Gandhi gives nod to Left-Congress alliance in Bengal". August 24, 2019.
6. ^ "'Siliguri Model': How the Left-Congress 'alliance' was forged". The Indian Express. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
7. ^ "Left-Congress alliance in West Bengal Elections 2016, hinted Left leaders". infoelections.
8. ^ "WB Congress Calls For Alliance With CPI(M), Other "Secular Forces"". The Quint. 29 Feb 2016.
9. ^ "West Bengal Elections 2016: CPI(M) to take final call on alliance with Congress next week". DNA. 12 Jan 2016.
10. ^ "CPI-M and Congress alliance to continue in Bengal". The Times of India. 23 May 2016.
11. ^ "West Bengal Assembly Election Left Front Candidate List 2016". Infoelection.
12. ^ "West Bengal Assembly Election Congress Candidate List 2016". Infoelection.
13. ^ Romita Datta (May 19, 2016). "West Bengal results: It's Mamata all the way, Left-Congress experiment fails".
14. ^ "West Bengal: Left-Congress alliance weak in arithmetic and chemistry". The Indian Express. 22 May 2016.
15. ^ Soumya Das (February 19, 2019). "Left-Congress alliance in a mess".
16. ^ "We're done: Congress calls off alliance with the Left in West Bengal". India Today. 18 March 2019.
17. ^ "With Brigade Rally, Left-Congress-ISF's 'Sanyukta Morcha' Kicks Of Bengal Poll Campaign". Outlook India. 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
18. ^ "The rise of BJP and fall of leftist and Congress in West Bengal". The Business Standard. 3 May 2021.
19. ^ "Left Front's electoral understanding with the Indian Secular Front falls flat". The Hindu. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
20. ^ "রাজ্যে ফের বাম-কংগ্রেস জোট, আসনরফা নিয়ে লক্ষ্মীবারই বৈঠক সেলিম-অধীরের". Sangbad Pratidin. 14 Feb 2024. Retrieved 14 Feb 2024.
21. ^ "Ajoy Edwards chief of Hamro Party allies with INDIA, Munish Tamang national president of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh joins Congress". The Telegraph. 29 March 2024.