Saurabh Mukherjee
In an eye-grabbing political turn in West Bengal, economist and social activist Prasenjit Bose is all set to join the Indian National Congress, marking a notable shift in his political journey.
Well known in the social and political circles of the State, Bose had resigned from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 2012 over differences with the party regarding its support for Pranab Mukherjee’s candidature as the President of India.
Bose has been at the forefront of several movements, particularly opposing the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and served as convenor of the Joint Forum against NRC Kolkata.
More recently, he has actively highlighted the issue of land acquisition for the Deocha Pachami Coal Mining project in West Bengal, facing strong pushback from the ruling Trinamool Congress and the state government for his advocacy of tribal rights.
“There is an assault on the Constitution by the government of the day. The battle against it is being fought by the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi. They are only one who are trying to protect the Constitution,” Bose told The Hindu, confirming his decision to join the Congress party.
He further emphasized the urgency of resisting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which threatens the people’s right to vote.
“The immediate agenda is to deal with SIR which is likely to start from October (in West Bengal). The Congress has put up a huge fight against SIR in Bihar and I was associated with them and have gathered some experience at the grass roots level,” he said.
Bose also pointed out that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been raising significant issues such as the caste census, and his association with the party will provide him a larger platform to work directly with the people. His induction into the Congress is expected to take place at an event in Kolkata on September 15, 2025, in the presence of State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar.
Bose’s political career began in student activism at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). In 2000, the ABVP won the JNUSU presidential election narrowly, a victory shaped by a rift between Bose and Syed Naseer Hussain of the SFI, who later became a Rajya Sabha MP. Bose had been considered one of the most strategic leaders of the SFI during the 1990s and early 2000s and was acknowledged by rivals as the “brain behind the SFI.”
By 2012, Bose was heading the research unit of the CPI(M) but resigned in protest against the party’s decision to support Pranab Mukherjee’s presidential nomination. The CPI(M) expelled him the following day, after which he remained away from party politics for more than a decade.
In a 2014 article published on the website Kafila, Bose had criticized the Congress sharply: “Being in power at the Centre for a decade, the Congress has done everything possible to discredit itself and alienate the people. Whatever little redistribution of resources was attempted through the NREGA, Food Security Bill, etc was more than undone through the relentless rise in food and fuel prices under Congress rule, which hit the poor the hardest. The erroneous policy of hiking interest rates to curb inflation failed to check rising prices and choked off investment and economic activity instead.”
He also wrote, “Most disturbingly, the Congress regime became synonymous with brazen cronyism and plunder of natural resources by a nexus of corrupt ministers, bureaucrats and big corporates. In more ways than one, it was the Congress which paved the way for the BJP.”
However, Bose now says he is joining the Congress to “contribute to the national movement to defend the Constitution and the right to vote” led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
“The Congress has a major role to play in breaking the polarisation between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP in West Bengal,” he told The Indian Express.
On Sunday, he wrote on Facebook: “I have decided to join the Indian National Congress in West Bengal on Monday, September 15, along with fellow activists. Our immediate objective is to strengthen the democratic movement and rebuild progressive alternatives at the Centre and in West Bengal.”
Bose’s induction adds to a growing list of former Communist student leaders who have joined the Congress, despite JNU’s long-standing reputation as a Left stronghold. Notable names include D P Tripathi, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Battilal Bairwa, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Kanhaiya Kumar. Leaders from the radical Left, particularly those affiliated with AISA, have also crossed over to the Congress over the years.
The shift has generated unease within the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), where there is a perception that former Left student leaders who switch allegiance receive faster elevation within the party hierarchy.
Moreover, questions are bound to arise over Bose’s sudden U-turn, given his history of sharply criticizing the Congress on multiple occasions. Many observers may view his move as driven by political opportunism rather than ideological alignment.
Well known in the social and political circles of the State, Bose had resigned from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 2012 over differences with the party regarding its support for Pranab Mukherjee’s candidature as the President of India.
Bose has been at the forefront of several movements, particularly opposing the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and served as convenor of the Joint Forum against NRC Kolkata.
More recently, he has actively highlighted the issue of land acquisition for the Deocha Pachami Coal Mining project in West Bengal, facing strong pushback from the ruling Trinamool Congress and the state government for his advocacy of tribal rights.
“There is an assault on the Constitution by the government of the day. The battle against it is being fought by the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi. They are only one who are trying to protect the Constitution,” Bose told The Hindu, confirming his decision to join the Congress party.
He further emphasized the urgency of resisting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which threatens the people’s right to vote.
“The immediate agenda is to deal with SIR which is likely to start from October (in West Bengal). The Congress has put up a huge fight against SIR in Bihar and I was associated with them and have gathered some experience at the grass roots level,” he said.
Bose also pointed out that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been raising significant issues such as the caste census, and his association with the party will provide him a larger platform to work directly with the people. His induction into the Congress is expected to take place at an event in Kolkata on September 15, 2025, in the presence of State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar.
Bose’s political career began in student activism at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). In 2000, the ABVP won the JNUSU presidential election narrowly, a victory shaped by a rift between Bose and Syed Naseer Hussain of the SFI, who later became a Rajya Sabha MP. Bose had been considered one of the most strategic leaders of the SFI during the 1990s and early 2000s and was acknowledged by rivals as the “brain behind the SFI.”
By 2012, Bose was heading the research unit of the CPI(M) but resigned in protest against the party’s decision to support Pranab Mukherjee’s presidential nomination. The CPI(M) expelled him the following day, after which he remained away from party politics for more than a decade.
In a 2014 article published on the website Kafila, Bose had criticized the Congress sharply: “Being in power at the Centre for a decade, the Congress has done everything possible to discredit itself and alienate the people. Whatever little redistribution of resources was attempted through the NREGA, Food Security Bill, etc was more than undone through the relentless rise in food and fuel prices under Congress rule, which hit the poor the hardest. The erroneous policy of hiking interest rates to curb inflation failed to check rising prices and choked off investment and economic activity instead.”
He also wrote, “Most disturbingly, the Congress regime became synonymous with brazen cronyism and plunder of natural resources by a nexus of corrupt ministers, bureaucrats and big corporates. In more ways than one, it was the Congress which paved the way for the BJP.”
However, Bose now says he is joining the Congress to “contribute to the national movement to defend the Constitution and the right to vote” led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
“The Congress has a major role to play in breaking the polarisation between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP in West Bengal,” he told The Indian Express.
On Sunday, he wrote on Facebook: “I have decided to join the Indian National Congress in West Bengal on Monday, September 15, along with fellow activists. Our immediate objective is to strengthen the democratic movement and rebuild progressive alternatives at the Centre and in West Bengal.”
Bose’s induction adds to a growing list of former Communist student leaders who have joined the Congress, despite JNU’s long-standing reputation as a Left stronghold. Notable names include D P Tripathi, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Battilal Bairwa, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Kanhaiya Kumar. Leaders from the radical Left, particularly those affiliated with AISA, have also crossed over to the Congress over the years.
The shift has generated unease within the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), where there is a perception that former Left student leaders who switch allegiance receive faster elevation within the party hierarchy.
Moreover, questions are bound to arise over Bose’s sudden U-turn, given his history of sharply criticizing the Congress on multiple occasions. Many observers may view his move as driven by political opportunism rather than ideological alignment.
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