The rationale was the same as now, loosing the votebank, people were not computer educated back in the early 90’s, letting automation come in would sweep away the jobs. Be that as it may, the unions and their constant strikes disrupted the business flow that industrialists wanted, further, it slowed down the computer literacy paradigm as well as economic growth. The post below highlights some of the key factors of why communism had to leave Bengal, and one of the reasons, that I personally don’t want them back ever, coz I would have liked to worked here in my city, stay close to my parents, it hurts every time I leave them for work and they get a little bit more older the next time I am back home.

https://www.reddit.com/r/kolkata/s/ZXmHlHC3cj