While the trailblazer, the Trinamool Congress still seems to be sulking over what they couldn't achieve during the recent Panchayat elections and internal dissent, the CPM has rolled back on their old anti-Centrism.But the political observers here believe, however, ``the by-elections have imposed an acid test on the TC as on other political parties.''

``For the Congress, which did badly in the last Lok Sabha elections and a little better in the recent panchayat polls, is not expected to turn the tide so soon, the dominant CPM may well absorb a shock or two, but not the Trinamool Congress,'' said a veteran Congress leader.

Hit by internal dissent, the TC is also trying hard to fight back the spin-offs ofits unexecuted pact with the State BJP. And as the spin-offs linger on, the State BJP leaders did not take part in the campaigns!

The elections to three Assembly seats -- Rashbehari, under South Calcutta Lok Sabha constituency, Bowbazar, under Calcutta North-West LS constituency and Chanditala, under Hooghly LS constituency -- ``thus have left no room for complacency for the TC.''

Understandably, the CPI(M) has taken the by-elections very seriously. It has put the West Bengal Chief Minister and veteran Politburo member Jyoti Basu to the task of kicking off the campaign trail. And Basu did it yesterday for the party candidate Bhaktaram Pan contesting from the Chanditala seat with a decided thrust on anti-Centrism.

Chanditala, in Hooghly, offers a better chance for the Left Front Big brother. Its main rival the Trinamool Congress' LS candidate Akbar Ali Khondkar, who won the LS election from the Srirampore seat, polled less number of votes in this Assembly segment. While Khondkar polled 61,138, the CPI(M)candidate polled 69,228 and the Congress 20,364 respectively.

Though the TC candidate Amit Mitra feels finally `Mamata magic' can set things in his favour, the Congress candidate, Bikiron Banerjee thinks if he manages to repeat party's performance in LS elections, he will engineer TC's defeat.

Rashbehari, under South Calcutta LS constituency, from where a close Mamata Banerjee aide, Shovondeb Chottopadyaya is contesting against the CPI(M)'s Biplob Chatterjee and Congress' Soumodeep Bose, is considered to be a safe seat for the TC candidate. During the last LS elections, the TC candidate, who was no other than Mamata, polled 57,309 votes as against her immediate rivals, CPI(M) candidate's 18,109 and the Congress' 5,061 votes in this Assembly segment. Mamata factor may have already given an edge to Chottopadhyaya over his Congress and CPI(M) rivals.

However, Bowbazar Assembly seat promises an interesting fight between the candidates. A mixed Assembly constituency with over 38 per cent Muslim voters, the`Mamata magic', according to the Congress and CPM insiders, may not work this time.

The TC's alliance with the BJP may serve to alienate the Muslim voters and the Congress has put in a Muslim candidate Abdur Rauf Ansari to play the Muslim factor on the TC candidate Naina Das Bandopadhyaya, an actress and wife of hard core Mamata-loyalist, Sudip Bandopathyaya.

Sudip, who won the Calcutta North-West LS seat after resigning form the Bowbazar, has polled 30,010 votes against his immediate rivals of the CPI(M) and the Congress candidates who polled 16,417 and 18,408 votes respectively.

It remains to be seen if Sudip's actress wife could convert the good wishes of TC chief Mamata Banerjee which reportedly left several of her party colleagues unhappy.