Kolkata, Apr 20 (PTI) The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and opposition BJP on Sunday took a dig at the CPI(M), asserting that it was rapidly losing political relevance in the eastern state.

The comments against the Communist party by the bitter political arch-rivals came shortly after CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim alleged that the BJP and TMC were “helping each other” to polarise voters in the run-up to the 2026 assembly polls.

Salim made the remarks during a mega rally of CPI(M)’s frontal organisations at the Brigade Parade Grounds here.

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh told reporters that the CPI(M) has “created this false narrative” as it could not come to terms with the development initiatives of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“The TMC is fighting the religion-based politics of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. But, the Marxists have lost touch with the people of Bengal. Such bankruptcy of thoughts will lead to further decimation of the CPI(M) and Left Front from Bengal and the country. They don’t have any MLAs in the assembly and MPs in Lok Sabha (from the state). Soon, the CPI(M) will end up having no MPs in Rajya Sabha, too, from Bengal,” he said.

BJP state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said “the CPI(M) has already been reduced to a zero in all the states except Kerala due to their policies which have no connect with the people of the country. They criticise the pro-people and pro-development policies of (PM) Narendra Modi”.

“What the CPI(M) says does not matter. They will never be able to come back to power in the near future,” he asserted.

Striking a different note, Congress leader and former PCC president Adhir Chowdhury said the Brigade Rally by the CPI(M) is important and it can show a new direction to the people of Bengal.

“In an atmosphere when both BJP and TMC are practising religion-based politics, the Left party can show the direction and uphold the secular and pluralistic views in Bengal,” Chowdhury said. Earlier in the day, demanding a judicial probe into the recent communal riots in Murshidabad district, Salim and other party leaders accused the TMC and the BJP of colluding to engineer the violence for political gains ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. PTI SUS RBT