As the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections draw closer, the Indian National Congress finds itself in a state of paralysis while its rivals, TMC and BJP, have already hit the campaign trail with full force. Surprisingly, even in the traditional Congress strongholds of Malda and Murshidabad—the so-called “bastions of the hand”—the party is yet to announce its candidate list. This prolonged silence from the leadership has triggered widespread frustration among the grassroots workers.

Speculations are rife as to why the list is being held back. Insiders suggest that the party is caught in a web of internal power struggles, with multiple factions claiming the same seats, particularly in the Murshidabad-Nadia belt. On the other hand, some political analysts believe that the party is struggling to find “winnable” candidates in many constituencies after several veterans moved to other camps. While senior leaders like Shuvankar Sarkar and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury are reportedly in talks with the AICC in Delhi, the delay is causing severe damage to the party’s visibility on the ground.

Disheartened party workers expressed their anger at the party headquarters, stating that without a face to represent them, their campaign is stalled. “The walls are being painted by TMC and BJP candidates, while we don’t even know who we are fighting for,” lamented a local coordinator from Malda. As the clock ticks down, the big question remains: Is Congress heading for a total washout due to this indecisiveness, or is there a late surprise waiting in the wings?