In several districts, Trinamool Congress, Congress, the BJP and other outfits have forged unity in their bid to ensure a one to one contest against the CPM candidates in the panchayats. For example, in areas like Bishnupur, Chhatna, Borjora, Ranibandh, Raipur and Taldangra in Bankura district, the TMC, Congress, BJP and Jharkhand party have come together to fight the CPM. The alliances have been formed with the hope that consolidation of opposition votes can defeat the CPM. And the grassroots level leaders did not depend on the formal approval of the party.
A local Congress leader said even if the party high command opposed such a move, voters at the grassroots level would have defied such diktats from the top. Many said they had to live in villages facing challenges from adversaries, so they knew best what could be the best way to tackle the opponents.
Even the smaller LF partners are willing to join in some places, he pointed out.
Das Munshi said the party's headquarters in Kolkata had been receiving regular complaints about its nominees being threatened and intimidated by Communists in different districts. Sometimes, the threats were blatant and sometimes these were veiled.
For instance, contesting candidates were being threatened by Marxists cadres and asked to withdraw nominations.
Already, over 2,800 panchayat seats have been won by the ruling CPM without any contest.
The Trinamool Congress chief, Mamata Banerjee, however, has adopted a rigid stand over such alliances. She has not only issued a warning against "unprincipled alliances" but initiated disciplinary action against several party leaders at block-levels in Bagda, Habra, and Sandeshkhali in North 24-Pargnas and also in Howrah and Bankura.
But Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress-led 17-party Front, formed before the panchayat polls, has not been able to forge a true alliance. Many of the partners are said to have fielded their own candidates, violating guidelines for the 17-party alliance.