With the appointment of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as the president of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee ahead of the crucial 2021 polls, the Congress high command has signaled an interest in further strengthening of ties with the Left and escalation of offensive against the ruling Trinamool Congress, say experts.

Chowdhury’s appointment as the new president was announced by party general secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday. Somen Mitra, who was the party’s president in West Bengal before this, had died on July 30.

“Congress President has appointed Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as the president of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect,” stated a statement issued by the party.

A week ago, Abdul Mannan, a senior Congress leader and leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, had written to Sonia Gandhi with a request to appoint Chowdhury as the state president.

“During the 2016 assembly polls in the state, Mannan and Chowdhury had played an important role in forging the electoral understanding with the Left Front. His appointment would help to further strengthen the ties,” said a senior Congress leader.

Chowdhury is also known to be one of the staunchest critics of Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress chief and the chief minister of West Bengal. Even while Congress president Sonia Gandhi was attacking the Narendra Modi-led government in coordination with Banerjee, Chowdhury was busy upping the ante against the TMC supremo at the state-level.

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“The message is clear. The Congress would not like to walk with the TMC when it comes to state politics because they know very well that the TMC would not leave an inch for them. They would, however, need the TMC when it comes to opposing the BJP at the centre. Hence, Chowdhury was the best bet as he would not only consolidate the party’s position in Murshidabad, a bastion of the Congress, but would also help to strengthen the party’s ties with the Left and at the same time oppose the TMC tooth and nail,” said psephologist Biswanath Chakraborty, a professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University.

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The ruling TMC, which had earlier tagged Chowdhry as an agent of the BJP and RSS, however, said that Chowdhury’s appointment as the Congress president will not affect the TMC in any way as the Cong and the Left are facing an ‘existential crisis’ in the state.

“The Congress knows very well that Chowdhury is an agent of BJP and RSS and his main enemy is Mamata Banerjee and not the BJP. So they have appointed him thus revealing a dual character. They don’t want to fight the BJP. They want to oppose the TMC. It won’t affect us anyways, no matter whoever comes. The Congress party first needs to stay afloat in Bengal,” said Kalyan Banerjee, TMC MP.