Fearing defections from its ranks, the state Congress, after a green signal from the high command, has begun reaching out to ally Trinamool to help it form boards in municipalities that have thrown up a hung verdict but Mamata Banerjee’s party is in no hurry and is still waiting for her nod.

The state Congress has directed its district leaders to initiate dialogue with their Trinamool counterparts regarding formation of boards in 26 municipalities and allow Trinamool to choose the chairmen there.

“There are nearly 26 municipalities where we can support Trinamool in forming boards. In some districts, talks are already on,” said state Congress working president Pradip Bhattacharjee.

Asked regarding a section of Congress councillors trying to switch sides to Trinamool, Bhattacharjee said, “It has happened earlier too. I am not worried. Those who want to go can go. We did not do badly in the municipal polls throughout Bengal. This shows our party has a bright future ahead. In Kolkata Municipal Corporation, we never expected to get the majority. The results were not far below our expectations.”

But another senior state Congress leader said his party has decided to support the Trinamool “wherever necessary” to forestall possible defections.

Banerjee had openly announced after the results that her party was in a position to form boards in “hung” municipalities too, sending Congress leaders in a tizzy.

Trinamool leaders are, however, awaiting their party supremo’s nod to respond to Congress’s overtures. Trinamool MLA Jyotipriyo Mullick, who is party’s observer for North 24-Parganas, said, “Congress may have initiated dialogue on a post-poll alliance, the final decision rests with Mamata Banerjee. One must keep in mind that had it not been a breach of alliance by Congress, we could not have got all the 21 seats in North 24-Parganas.”

Apart from other districts, it is in Hooghly and North-24 Parganas where a number of municipalities are “hung”. In Hooghly, there was a hung verdict in four municipalities of Konnagar, Sreerampur, Rishra and Chapdani and Trinamool is not in a position to form boards without the Congress help.

In North 24-Parganas where 21 municipalities went to polls, eight bodies of Garulia, Titagarh, New Barackpur, Bashirhat, Baduria, Taki, Barasat and Bongaon are “hung”.