Elsewhere, in at least five districts, the two parties that share a common platform in the UPA at the Centre failed to arrive at any seat adjustment for the May 30 civic polls to 81 civic boards across the state, paving way for multi-cornered contests.
While this must have been music to the ears of the CPM-led Left Front, which stands to gain following a sharp division in the anti-Left vote bank, the development has put a question mark on whether the Congress and the Trinamool could really pose a challenge to the Marxists in the assembly poll slated in May 2011.
The seat-sharing formula in the prestigious municipal corporation in the city went into a limbo after the Congress leaders in at least five districts refused to leave any seat to the TMC on the ground that the latter is too weak to contest there.
Citing the same logic, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee allotted only 25 wards out of 141 to the Congress, triggering a massive uproar in the Congress rank and file. But since the district Congress leaders dumped all missives of state party leaders for providing some seats to the TMC, Banerjee hardened her stand further. Once the Congress list came out on Saturday, she decided to contest in all the 141 wards.
“We will have a friendly contest. The civic polls will not have any bearing on the alliance between the two parties at the national level,” state Congress working president Pradip Bhattacharya said at the party office. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is May 3 next.
The civic polls are politically crucial as they are considered to be the semi-finals before next year’s assembly polls.