These apparently mundane frames project a bigger story. The story of a remarkable transformation of strategic partners — the Congress and the Trinamool Congress — in the last Lok Sabha polls in 2009 into antagonists in the 2010 civic polls. The dramatic realignment of the political forces within a span of just one year has been the most outstanding feature of this election. First the seat sharing talks broke down between the Trinamool and the Congress. In the initial days after the breakdown of the talks the two sides showed restraint, but as the day of the poll draws closer the mud slinging gets only worse. The breakdown of the talks between the Congress and the Trinamool happened in the backdrop of a surging demand for a united fight against the Left Front at the grassroot levels. So there is a silver lining even in the midst of a split, as in many municipal wards, the grassroot level workers have forged an unwritten alliance and are pushing for the “winnable factor” of an anti-Left candidate to prevent a split in the votes. Of course, there are places where the alliance could not be forged, particularly in Murshidabad and Malda districts, giving an advantage to the Left candidates.

The outcome of the municipal polls assumes significance in view of the ensuing state Assembly polls, due in May 2011. Both the Congress and the Trinamool leaders, including Mamata Banerjee and Pranab Mukherjee have been careful enough not to queer the pitch for the Assembly poll alliance. Even in the midst of discord they have pledged to fight the Assembly polls together. The outcome in the municipal polls, therefore, would surely factor in the seat sharing for agreement for the Assembly polls. In Kolkata, it would be interesting to note how far the triangular contests impact the voting pattern. With growing disillusionment with the Left, political circles are talking about consolidation of the anti-Left votes, at least in Kolkata.

For the Left Front the civic polls have come close on the heels of the Lok Sabha polls. In a way it is a litmus test for the CPM and an opportunity to assess if it has been able to regain any of the grounds it had lost in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, particularly the urban middle class votes in the districts as well as in the urban core of Kolkata. Going by the LS poll results, the Left have under its control only 22 municipal wards among the 141 in Kolkata. And if the crowd response is any indication, Mamata is well set to capture the Kolkata municipal corporation from the CPM, independently. Even if her party falls short, a handful of Congress winners would be there for a post poll alliance and make up for the number game.